


Something Blue

by indestinatus



Category: NCIS
Genre: Established Tony/Ziva, F/M, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, If you like Mamma Mia, Season/Series 17, Team as Family, Travel, Weddings, lots of happiness, mainly Tiva but oh boy i do add some ellick and Slibbs whenever i can, the loveliest lies of all, they have a honeymoon so... smut eventually, you'll probably enjoy this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:15:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 108,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22248499
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indestinatus/pseuds/indestinatus
Summary: Now that Ziva is safe and can return to her family...Tony doesn't waste any time. She'll need to have something blue to go along with a white wedding gown.*this fic has pictures and soundtracks
Relationships: Ellie Bishop/Nick Torres, Jethro Gibbs/Jacqueline "Jack" Sloane, Ziva David/Anthony DiNozzo
Comments: 212
Kudos: 285





	1. The box

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"I love her, and that's the beginning and end of everything."_  
>  \- F. Scott Fitzgerald

If she knew moving was going to be that difficult, she probably would never start packing, just continued to live in her parents' house.

Tali struggled to pull out a box tightly tucked under her outdated bed, now small enough that left her ankles scraping the end of it. She didn’t mind it much - the fact that she did not fit her bed anymore only meant time had passed, and to be honest, she had so many great memories in that house, she was resolute not to take it from her room. But even so, there was no denying it.

Time had passed and her time there had come to an end.

She was twenty years old now, and with a whole life ahead of her.

Some things were bitter and yet so necessary.

“Argh, finally!” exclaimed Tali, panting after finally having managed to pull the old gray box out from the small space.

Particles of dust spread everywhere, shining against the afternoon sun. Dirt covered her fingers and she quickly wiped them on the sides of her jeans. She tried blowing the dust off of the box lid, but it only made matters worse, a sequence of sneezes coming right after.

After some seconds of recovering, Tali got up and sat on her bed, putting the box on her lap. It was a mixed tone between gray and beige, the corners already soft from handling and time. She traced the white bow carefully wrapped around it, fingers slowly remembering a pattern long forgotten, her heart suddenly beating faster.

“Is this…” Tali whispered to herself. “Hey, Mom?”

Tali's voice echoed inside the walls of her room until a voice answered back, coming from the garden.

“Yeah, sweetie?"

Ziva had been stationed there since this morning, a woven basket on her hip as she filled it with oranges already ripe for juice. The grassy ground was covered with them, citrus scent emanating all around her as she decided to finally clear them out of the way. Tony had arranged the mini orchard for her on one of her birthdays, and since then, Ziva had always told Tali it was her most cherished places in the house. She could spend hours without even noticing the sky changing, just picking fruits or watching its leaves sway with the wind, inhaling the strong citric smell.

Tali knew it was her Ima's own corner of heaven in their little backyard.

“Need any help?” Ziva's head snapped to Tali’s room, which was stationed behind the white first-floor balcony above her. Tali’s voice, however, came from much closer than that, and Ziva turned to see her grown-up daughter walking barefoot towards the backyard, carrying the gray box in her hands.

“I was just wondering,” Tali said carefully, looking up to study Ziva on a ladder, her silhouette framed by sunlight. “Is this box the one I used to play with as a child?”

Ziva looked down at her, a hand covering her eyes from the light - even though she was wearing a big floral straw hat - to squint at whatever Tali was showing. A smile appeared on her lips as soon as she recognized it.

“Oh, _that_ box.”

Ziva descended the stairs already chuckling to herself, the wrinkles around her eyes the only thing that revealed her age. Everyone said her mother had aged beautifully, and that Tali was lucky to have such a striking combination of her parents’ genes - dark brown eyes and soft honey hair - and that the same thing would happen to her, with time.

But Tali knew the truth.

Her Ima had just aged well because her dad couldn’t stop making her laugh, _all the damn time_.

Ziva climbed down, placing the heavy basket on the grass, taking out her straw hat and hanging it on the ladder. She rubbed her hands on the sides of her overall and huffed out a breath, eyes turning bright at what Tali was carrying.

Ziva stepped closer, her hand instinctively touching the white bow gently, almost a caress, with a care that showed the importance behind such an old item. Tali watched her closely, waiting for whatever fraction of a reaction that showed her this wasn’t a good idea.

Ziva only chuckled. “You used to ask me many times to tell you this story when you were little,” she said, wrinkles marking the corners of her eyes.

“What story?” asked Tali, but she had a feeling she already knew the answer.

The clever glint on her mother’s eyes told her she also knew the truth. Ziva, however, gently guided her out of the sun and onto the steps shaded by a wooden gazebo on a corner of the garden. They sat down side by side, facing the orange grove, and Ziva glanced at the old box on Tali’s hands again.

“Why do you not open it, T?”

Tali looked at her with close attention, but Ziva’s eyes had already turned unfocused as she studied the box. The corner of her lips had tilted slightly upwards and Tali wondered if her mother was only halfway there, some part of her already reliving memories now long gone.

“You have that crazy I’m-so-in-love-with-your-father look in your eyes again, mom.”

That took Ziva out of her stupor and she opened up a big smile to her daughter at her side. Tali herself smiled knowingly, aware of the effect her father still had on her.

“I won’t open it,” said Tali, handing the box to Ziva, “You do it.”

Ziva huffed out a laugh but the gratitude in her eyes was unmistakable. “Do not call your mother crazy,” she chuckled, but her eyes were not on Tali anymore. “Let’s have a look.”

Squinting her eyes, Ziva took the reading glasses from her overall front pocket and smiled to herself. Gently untying the bow wrapped around it, Ziva carefully folded the ribbon as if it would disintegrate in her hands before studying the box again.

It wasn’t big, but it was big enough that Ziva had to hold it with both her hands. Tali noticed that her mother let out a breath of relief once she opened it, but she didn’t say a word. The inside was covered with old parchment paper, neatly folded over a bound sort of book underneath.

“That was one of the best days of my life,” declared Ziva, a small smile visible at the corner of her mouth. “Everyone was there. Gosh, even aunt Nettie was there, now that I think of it.”

“Must have been a hell of a party, then,” said Tali, smiling as well. Both of them knew aunt Nettie only went to places where there was wine involved.

“It was,” laughed Ziva, her eyes shining. “There was live music and everything. We danced until dawn.”

“I thought you didn’t enjoy big things,” said Tali, turning to her. “You don’t even like dad’s birthday parties for you.”

“He always had a taste for extravagant things, to be fair,” laughed Ziva. “Though originally we did not plan to have a big party. We were going to elope. We sort of did.”

Tali’s eyes widened surprised at that new piece of information, but Ziva only laughed it off, as if it was not a big deal. She’d always thought her parents had only married the traditional way.

“What do you mean you two eloped?”

“Oh, it was not for long,” Ziva shrugged. “And it was not official, it was just a pact between us. We were young and had lost enough time, you know? So that was our little secret for a while. We were both just euphoric life had finally let us be together.” She then turned to her daughter, a glint in her eye. “You were there.”

“I was..?” Tali tried to remember, but nothing came to mind. She must have been really young.

“Your father said you were the best choice of a witness,” Ziva laughed. “He used to call you ‘Miss Miracle’. You sealed our deal.”

Tali’s eyebrows shot up, but Ziva didn’t explain any further. She only chuckled to herself, probably reliving memories from years back, fingers tracing the old parchment paper.

“So what happened?” said Tali.

“Oh,” Ziva turned to her daughter, Tali's voice taking Ziva out of her trance. “Your dad convinced me that it was a great opportunity to gather the whole family.”

Tali knew she meant the whole “team”, the expression now long replaced by _family_.

“He said we had never had a proper celebration,” added Ziva. “That we deserved a chance to cherish our family and friends, to celebrate life, and what a better excuse than an office couple showing them all how to break the rules?” she laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. “He pulled off some impressive feats that day. I like to think it one of the best days of his life too.”

Ziva’s eyes turned soft and Tali knew the reason.

Even the best memories can turn bittersweet, perhaps only because they were good.

“I remember the water,” said Tali, features opening up in a sudden smile. “Crystal-clear, shining blue water, everywhere I looked.”

“That’s right,” said Ziva, nodding fondly. “It was an extraordinary place. Your father had the idea for the party, but the place was mine,” she smiled proudly. “ **Something blue** , to give us a change of scenery.”

“There were seagulls...” Tali closed her eyes, trying to place random thoughts together, but unsuccessfully. “Why weren’t we there more often?”

There were only distant memories clouding Tali’s thoughts, but she had a feeling all she remembered had in fact come from photographs, nothing too much concrete. She was suddenly surprised to realize they had never returned there, even if they were a family that particularly traveled a lot.

“I think it is because we already had enough good memories there. And that’s the thing, you _were_ there,” said Ziva, nudging her on the shoulder, and Tali chuckled softly despite herself. “We used to call it ‘Paradise’.”

Tali looked at her and Ziva was proudly casting her a small smirk. She understood she was also a part of that story, and that Ziva was proud to have had her there, even if the memories were now misty. 

In Paradise, wherever that was.

Images of flashing neon lights and loud music suddenly came to tali, distant but there. Ziva’s smile only grew, the wrinkles around her eyes appearing as she watched Tali remember.

They were silent for a while, only the sound of leaves brushing against each other and birds chirping echoing around the grove. The sun was descending, but the backyard was still a golden color. The afternoon had a nostalgic quality to it, the air holding memories that overlapped across the years.

Ziva unfolded the parchment paper, revealing what was underneath. It was a photo album, its pearl-colored cover displaying signs of time, but not old at all. A message was embroidered in its center, one that Ziva traced with her fingers again and again.

She was no longer there.

She was in a place far away, made of love and light and laughter. Of glasses clinking and children running, waves crashing and sand burning under her feet. Of sunshine against her eyelids and starlight kissing her cheeks.

Of music, and dancing, and cheers.

And of joy, unending joy.

Tali coughed softly, transporting Ziva back to the present. She blinked a few times.

“Sorry. I completely placed out for a moment there,” said Ziva.

“Spaced out, mom, spaced-”

Her words died in her throat as Tali read what was in front of her. The embroidered line Ziva tenderly traced over and over.

**I was made for loving you.**

“Wasn’t dad the one who said that?” asked Tali, eyeing the still closed album with interest. She had a vague memory of her father repeating it over the years, that single phrase, as if it was the most well-known fact on the planet.

“Yes,” Ziva replied, smiling fondly. “It was a part of his vows.”

She opened the album.

A photograph was placed on the center of the page, fixed with small metal plates on each corner. There were small golden hand-drawn spirals around it, but nothing more, and Tali’s attention was fixed at the scene depicted on it.

Warmth spread across her heart. She had a feeling she had looked at it countless times.

“Look at him,” said Ziva, pointing to the picture. “He was so handsome.”

“Oh my God, mom, gross,” said Tali, but her eyes were twinkling. They shared a laugh.

Tony was carrying Ziva laid atop his shoulder, and his other hand was up in the air making a victory fist pump. Ziva’s young face could be seen looking at something out of frame, a bouquet still in her hand, even if most of her body was turned back to the photographer from where she was perched on top of Tony’s shoulder.

Behind them, the sky was a deep hue between fuchsia and peach, golden rays of sunshine coming from where it met with the sea, the sun already hid on the other side of the horizon. Blurry figures framed the aisle where her parents were immortalized, and though the guests faces were indistinguishable, it only appeared they were constantly moving or laughing to them.

They were both grinning broadly, her father with an open mouth smile as if that was the happiest moment of his life and her mother in surprise as if the shot was snapped the moment he had lifted her up in the air.

Tali suddenly forgot all her packing. She forgot about all deadlines and her room being a mess and obligations sending sirens blaring in her mind. Tali forgot about everything.

She only remembered about being a little girl again, gazing at that same picture for hours on end, creating adventures in a faraway land, and fantasizing about falling in love like that.

She thought about how quickly time had passed, and how punctual and still so permanent happiness was in her life. How grateful she was to have had such good memories, to have had such a great amount of luck, and how beautiful her life had turned out to be.

Tali looked around her, noticing where she was, suddenly breathing in the familiar citric smell of her backyard and the house she was about to let go.

The home she was about to leave for good.

There was no choice, the words were already leaving Tali’s mouth when her senses came back to her.

It was long overdue to revisit that dream, at least for one last time.

“Mom?” Tali called softly, eyeing the photograph of her parents as newly-wed once again.

“Yeah, sweetie?” Ziva sounded distant, but soon turned to look at her.

Tali hesitated. “Would you… would you tell me that story again?”

The corners of Ziva’s mouth slowly tilted upwards, as if there was nothing her mother would like to do more than that. She let out a soft laugh and arranged herself better on the gazebo wooden steps, straightening up her posture, only to look back at the album again.

“Of course, mon coeur,” said Ziva, a finger caressing Tony’s face in the photograph, a gesture she had come to do many times over the years. “Well, it all started…”


	2. The message

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.”_  
>  ― Jane Austen

Tangerine walls greeted Ellie once again as she entered her second home for another fresh day of work. She didn’t know what today had in store, but for some reason her heartbeat was pounding fast, making her smile.

A clear feeling of excitement burned in her stomach, even though she didn’t particularly know why.

Maybe the day would surprise her.

“Goood morning!” exclaimed Ellie cheerfully as she entered the bullpen, a big smile displayed while she put her backpack on the ground.

There was no response.

McGee was in his desk, deeply concentrated in something on his computer, his eyes unblinking and fingers swiftly typing an extensive amount of text without taking any breaks. He was completely absent, ignoring the world around him with his brow furrowed in focus.

Ellie mirrored his expression, confusion filling her. Had he got a heads up about a new case and was too worried to tell her? Did he have a problem with his family, or with his house, or with his credit card _again_? Had an idea suddenly dawned on him and he became crazily possessed by the foregone writer spirit and was finally typing out his new book, which meant he would stop talking to everyone about not having enough time to write it?

She squinted her eyes, the investigator in her too curious to let it pass.

“You’re alright, McGee?”

There was no reaction, but Ellie noticed that some beads of sweat now covering his forehead, though his eyes stayed glued to the screen.

This seemed serious.

“Gooood- hey, what’s wrong with him?” asked Nick as he stepped into the bullpen, casting a puzzled look at Ellie, who was standing still next to her desk studying the senior agent.

“Don’t know yet,” she whispered, not taking her eyes from McGee, and Nick stepped closer to listen her better. “He was already like that when I got here.”

Nick eyed McGee as if he was truly calculating if there was a spirit possessing him. His friend was always the one who greeted him first, sometimes even bringing coffee to the whole team. He seemed rather distressed for such an early hour in the day. Even if work usually brought them many challenges, this morning they still hadn’t heard of any new case.

He squinted his eyes at him, wondering as well what had got into his head. Nick turned to Ellie and motioned to her as if they were in the field, gesturing that she should go to one side as he went to the other. Ellie just rolled her eyes, but the look they shared made her know she had just won a new partner to this mystery, making her smile. He smiled as well, creating a new secret between them.

Ellie never knew how Nick could turn the most mundane situations into exciting things, but she was glad she had him by her side.

 _As a friend_ , she thought.

Of course.

They hovered closer and closer until they were cornering McGee from both sides, trying to catch a glimpse at his computer, but just as they arrived next to him, his instincts beat them to it and the screen soon turned into the NCIS logo they were familiar with.

“Hey, guys,” said McGee suddenly unfazed. It was obvious he was wearing a mask though. He was never good at hiding things. “Good morning, I didn’t see you two approaching.”

“Okay, _weird_ ,” stated Ellie, turning even more suspicious by the passing second.

“Are you hacking this time of the morning, Tim?” asked Nick, eyes squinting in distrust. “Just so you know, that can be illegal in some places and we _are_ federal agents-”

McGee sighed, rubbing his hands over his head. He seemed too stressed out to this issue to be something ordinary.

“Hey, you’re alright?” asked Ellie, now getting worried.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s just that-”

“Petty officer Grove isn’t,” declared Gibbs as he stormed into the bullpen in a rush, as usual, with a coffee cup in his hand and making everyone stand straighter. “Grab your gear, we’re going sailing.”

“Sailing?!” asked Torres with wide eyes. The shine in them showed he had instantly forgotten about what he was trying to solve, making Bishop scoff. “As in blue water, a pretty sunset, a drink in my hand-sailing?”

“I think he means we’re going to a ship,” Ellie patted his shoulder as Nick’s face fell. “Maybe later, Gatsby.”

“But the man makes sailing boats all the time…”

His voice died as Gibbs only cast him an amused look, telling him the truth as he normally did - without saying a thing. They were definitely _not_ going on vacation, he could assure him that.

McGee’s eyes turned unfocused as he stood up silently, eyebrows furrowed and jaw clenched in clear concern while he grabbed his backpack mechanically.

“Hey man, you sure you’re alright?” asked Nick again, eyeing him with interest. For a moment there was no reaction, then McGee started muttering something to himself and Nick turned to Ellie, who also shared a wide-eye look.

He was clearly turning mad.

“Yeah, yeah, I am. I’m just… Yes. I am,” stated McGee, walking towards the elevator without looking back. His eyes were still distant though, and his mind was most definitely not there.

Nick and Ellie exchanged another meaningful look as they entered the elevator, a clear connection between the two, who now shared the same thought.

McGee wasn’t, in fact, alright.

* * *

“Oh, man, this isn’t even CLOSE to what I imagined it would be,” said Nick loudly, trying to beat the sound of the waves and the wild sirens of the ship, “and I’m starting to feel a little bit sick.”

“You might try to get used to it, we are in the middle of nowhere,” Ellie smiled at him from where she stood on the main deck, the wind aggressively tousling her hair. “Besides, something tells me we’re going to stay here for a while.”

“Why don’t we do something different for once? Like, have a case that leads to Hawaii or some deserted beach?”

“Quit dreaming, Torres,” said Gibbs as the team entered the accommodations, leaving the sirens and wind behind, “Palmer should be here already, find him.”

Nick nodded, looking a bit pale, and left to search for the medical examiner.

Ellie eyed McGee with distrust. He hadn’t spoken a word during the whole trip to the naval base. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were darting everywhere, as if his thoughts were more important than the actual reality.

“Body is down in the control room,” Nick popped his head by the door, sweat coating his skin. He wiped it, trying to bring some breeze to himself as he continued to pant. “Oof, remind me to _never again_ set foot on a ship.”

“Will do,” answered Ellie, patting his shoulder as they descended the stairs to the control room.

Palmer was squatting next to the petty officer’s body, who was laying on the ground almost as if he was only sleeping, arms placed on top of his abdomen, hands together. He shared a glint of pity with the team, who only mirrored his expression. The victim was fairly young.

“He was shot once in the head, entry and exit wounds present, probably 0.38 caliber bullet. He was young, around 25, but it was a quick death, at least,” Jimmy sighed, “as my grandmother used to say, never forget to _seas_ the day.”

Palmer barked out a laugh but as soon as he looked up to the team and saw that no one was laughing with him, his face turned serious again and he muttered his apologies under his breath.

McGee arrived at the scene with a camera around his neck, the back of his hand wiping his forehead, clearly uncomfortable.

“MCGEE!” exclaimed Jimmy, standing up in a second, “I _need_ to talk to you.”

“Not now, Jimmy, we’ll talk later.”

“But we have to-”

“Yeah, I _know_. I’m doing it. Just… Just let me think for a second.”

Ellie’s eyebrows shot up and she glanced at Nick with wide eyes, who sent her a knowing look in return. As McGee started to take the photographs of the scene, bending down to the ground, deep in his thoughts, Bishop and Torres got closer to Palmer.

“Hey, man,” said Torres quietly, grabbing Jimmy’s arm and pulling him to a corner, “is everything alright? He has a crazy look in his eyes.”

Ellie got closer, crossing her arms, “do you know something that you’re not telling us, Jimmy?”

Palmer huffed an uncomfortable laugh, enough to convey that he clearly knew something. “Uh… I don’t know if I can tell you guys, it’s just-”

“Leave him be,” a grave voice startled them from behind, “this time it’s actually important.”

Gibbs angled his chin to Nick. “Torres, with me, witnesses. Bishop,” he pointed to a video camera on a corner of the ceiling, “get that.”

Nick’s eyes shot to Ellie, the white of them visible as he motioned between them with his index finger, “only WE don’t know what’s going on, blondie.”

“Hmmm,” muttered Ellie, putting her hands on her hips as Gibbs and Torres left the scene to ask about the dead petty officer to the others on board.

She looked around, eyeing Palmer and McGee with suspicion, trying to discover any clue of what was going on, but they both looked really engrossed in their jobs.

“I _will_ get to the bottom of this,” she stated to whoever was listening, leaving the scene with determination, her boots stomping on the stairs.

She didn’t notice that Jimmy’s lips opened in a small smile.

* * *

“ _Dancing queen… Young and sweet…_ ”

Jack Sloane was singing softly inside the bathroom stall, whistling along with the melody of the song.

She opened up the door and almost fell to the ground.

“Oh, my God, Ellie,” she declared, raising a hand to press at her chest in surprise, “you scared the hell out of me. What are you doing here like _that_?”

Ellie was leaning her back at the bathroom counter, arms crossed and face grave, “what do you know?”

“What do I know about..?”

Bishop gave two knocks on the door rhythmically and Nick appeared, locking the bathroom door behind him.

“Does she know something?” he said, pointing his chin to Jack.

“Nick, this is the women’s bathroom.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“And what are _you_ doing here, then?” Jack’s eyes widened.

“We’re interrogating you,” said Ellie in a serious tone.

“Interrogating _me_?” Jack huffed a laugh, “and what did _I_ do?”

“What you _didn’t_ do, to be exact,” said Ellie with distrust, “do you know something about what’s going on with Jimmy and McGee?”

“With… Jimmy and McGee? And why-”

“Don’t try to cover them up, it’s been days since they have these lunatic eyes,” Nick’s eyes widened in an accurate mimic, “and secretive conversations,” he added.

“But why-”

“Does it have something to do with _you-know-who_?” asked Ellie, getting closer to Sloane with her arms crossed, followed by Nick doing the same at her other side.

“You-know-who as in…?”

“T and Z, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the hawk and the eagle, the shotgun and the dagger, ya know,” Nick replied.

“Codenames? In the women’s bathroom, seriously?”

Ellie looked at Nick and nodded in agreement.

“Yep,” said both at the same time.

“It’s been a few weeks since she left and we didn’t get any news from anyone,” said Nick after some thought. “Then McGee appears one morning looking like he’s just been shot and Palmer is the same, unable to form complete sentences. So… It’s about someone they _both_ knew.”

“ _Them_ ,” stated Ellie, nodding to what Nick was saying, “and Gibbs knows as well. So… _You_ know.”

“Hey, guys, hold on,” asks Jack, hands opened in front of her as an attempt of defending herself, “why do you think _I know_ only because Gibbs knows?”

“Well, because-” started Nick.

“That’s not the point,” interrupted Ellie, clearly impatient, “the point is: _what is it_?”

“Well, you should ask _them_. Whoever _they_ are,” said Jack, eyes narrowing as she motioned vaguely. “So excuse me, because I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She washed her hands and fled the bathroom, leaving Nick and Ellie frustrated and confused.

“Do you think she’s telling the truth?” asked Ellie.

“I don’t know,” he replied. “ But I know she's hiding something.”

* * *

Once they arrived at the bullpen, McGee was furiously writing on something. He then threw away the paper with a concerned face and started over again. The floor near his desk was already mostly covered in paper balls.

“Okay, MCGEE,” called Ellie loudly, putting both her hands on his desk with loud ‘thump’. “What. Is. Going. _On_?”

Tim looked at her with wide eyes as if it was the first time he noticed he was actually in the bullpen and not in his room in front of his typewriter. He looked at Torres, behind her, arms crossed and face puzzled. He looked at Gibbs leaving the scene with a smirk, coffee in hand.

“Okay, okay,” he said, standing up, his hands opened in front of him in defense. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you yet, but I think they’ve already sent them.”

Ellie cast a questioning look to Nick, who appeared just as confused as she was.

“Sent what?” she asked.

“What’s this?” a new voice came into view.

Kasie raised a green envelope in the air, eyes darting from McGee to Torres to Bishop. Ellie looked at Nick and raced to get it from Kasie’s hand, but he was faster than her and grabbed it first.

“Okay,” Nick said panting, “what’s _this_?” he repeated, turning the envelope in his hands.

Ellie looked over his shoulder, Nick’s arms blocking her way to the envelope.

“Open. It. Nick,” she grunted.

The paper was a light green color, wrapped in a bronze ribbon, with an [olive branch placed behind a golden wax seal](https://66.media.tumblr.com/3d2e233441ebc6c462b9c9b5ed5486c1/b9a1d17a9bbb51e9-fb/s1280x1920/5f656688e4a44772bf097fff836c74164c033eb9.jpg). It looked delicate enough Ellie was scared Nick would damage it. Looking close enough, she noticed two letters under the shining seal.

 _T and Z_ , it read in beautiful, cursive writing.

“No no no no no, let _me_ open it,” said Ellie once she saw what it was, “or you’ll damage it.”

“I think you both got one,” said Kasie, raising another envelope from Ellie’s desk.

She raced to it, grabbing the envelope with a force but then carefully unwrapping the ribbon, opening it gently.

“ _Save the date_ ,” she breathed out.

Ellie held Kasie’s hands and started jumping up and down in some sort of dance, a big smile on her lips as the moved across the bullpen.

“They’re getting married! We’ll have a wedding! They’re getting married!” she started to chant.

_**We do.  
(yes, finally, we know)  
You’re important to us, so save the date!  
\- Tony and Ziva** _

McGee couldn’t help but smile at the scene. His two best friends were finally getting together and starting a new life next to each other, next to their _daughter_. For him, it felt almost surreal. After years of bickering, many deaths and obstacles, undercover operations, and definitive goodbyes, all had finally ended well.

His heart grew warmer with the thought.

“Yes, we'll have a wedding,” he said to the group, “and I’ll have to write the best man’s speech, just as Jimmy will have to make a toast as… Let’s just say the man of honor. That’s why we were so jittery the past few days. I have to get this right, they’re both very important to me.”

“Oh, _McGee_ ,” said Ellie, patting his hand in reassurance, “you’ll prepare a brilliant speech, I’m certain of it.”

“Besides, we’re all be there by your side to laugh at all your jokes,” said Kasie with a smile.

“You’re going too, Kasie?” asked Ellie.

“Oh, yeah, I think even George the janitor is going. I just didn’t get the invitation yet.”

Just as she said that, Gibbs appeared in a rush, coffee in one hand and a light green envelope wrapped in a ribbon in the other, one which he gently gave to Kasie without saying a word.

“ _Guys_ ,” said Nick alarmingly, eyes wide while reading the invitation, “GUYS. GUYS. GUYS. OH, THIS IS GONNA BE SWEEEEEET.”

“What? What did we miss? What’s going on?” asked Ellie.

Gibbs was smirking in his desk, but silent. McGee had an amused look in his eyes but also didn’t answer. Ellie ran to Nick and tried to seize what was in his hands to have a look but he was again faster than her.

“The wedding isn’t on DC,” said Nick as he started to do a sequence of reggaeton moves, “MY MAN IS GOING ON VACATION!”

Everyone started to cheer and laugh loudly, as a family does.

In the back of the paper, a little message was placed at its center, a branch of olive leaves painted in gold on each side of the elegant handwriting.

_**Grab your gear,  
We are waiting for you in Greece.  
\- lots of love, T and Z.** _

_**P.S.: If any of you start singing 'Mamma Mia' like I’ve been listening to FOR DAYS from my two ladies, I WILL go mad.  
P.S.S.: But if you have the urge to, do it. This is gonna be a great party.  
\- T.** _


	3. The way

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"To feel the love of people whom we love is a fire that feeds our life."_  
>  \- Pablo Neruda

"Dad, Dad, can I go by the window?"

"But I also want to go by the window..."

Johnny raced to his place, jumping on the seat with a loud 'thump' and casting a knowing smile to his sister. He stuck out his tongue and looked to the window, blue eyes mischievous. He had won the fight this time, just as usual when it involved physical advantage - he was faster than his sister, but when it came to vocabulary and expressing oneself, she was almost scary for a four years old.

"But Dad," said Morgan, pulling her father's shirt down, watery eyes revealing either the hurt she felt or the plan to win his heart over. "I want to see the ground."

She stopped where she stood, planting her feet on the aisle and looking up to her dad with big puzzling eyes. People started to complain down the line why they all had to stop, grunting and asking what was going on. "It's a child," one of them said, as if that was reason enough to understand the delay. A flight attendee asked them to please move forward quickly and to not obstruct the way.

"Well, Morgan, we will be up in the air, so the ground will be very far below," said McGee, raising her daughter to his arms when tears started to trace her cheeks, which made onlookers stare longer at the scene. "Besides, the middle seat... means you can... hmmm..."

"You can stand closer to your mum and she'll give you more snacks," stated Delilah assuringly, eyebrows raised to McGee in a questioning look.

"Yes, yes, more snacks," he said, smiling nervously to his wife, muttering a soundless 'thank you' as Morgan started to babble to her brother about her win.

McGee buckled up the seatbelts of the twins and sighed, thinking all was settled. A moment later, John was already pulling the window cover up and down loudly and he had to interfere, asking him to leave it alone or else he'll break it. "And what will _we_ do if you break a window of a plane, John?" he added.

He sank in his seat by the aisle, opposite to Delilah who was now shamelessly laughing at his own struggles.

"Gosh, do you think these two will be able to pull this off?" asked Breena, her hair in a ponytail and sunglasses on her head, "when Jimmy told me the guys would take care of the children on this trip and the women were obliged to relax, I just burst out laughing."

"You know, I have no idea," answered Delilah with a big grin, eyes twinkling with the thought, "but at this point, I don't really care."

"Oh, calm down, you ladies," added Palmer with a smile, "Victoria here told me," he gestured to his daughter who was holding his hand, "that it was Tali's idea."

"Mermaids and then a princess makeover!" exclaimed Victoria, her pigtails swinging as she jumped excitedly in front of him.

"And Tony assured me the island had a bunch of activities for kids," said Jimmy looking at her.

He was carrying not one, but two backpacks, one at his front and one in his back, along with a tour group leader flag which read ‘ _NCIS scouts_ ’ and a small yellow whistle around his neck.

"Yeah, good luck with that," said Breena with a playful smile as she put her travel pillow around her neck and her sunglasses down, already going to sleep even though the boarding was still on.

"No, no, I'm not scared of planes," Torres told Bishop as she let him put her suitcase on the compartment above her seat, "it's just... they're creepy, okay? If you think about it, it's hundreds of people and tons of luggage just suspended in the air, I mean, just floating around with nothing holding it. Clouds? They're not solid, man."

"What are you talking about, Nick?" asked Ellie, visibly laughing at him. "It's a flight. One flight. How many millions of flights are there in a day?"

He sat down at the middle seat, taking out the safety card and flipping it back and forth, quickly putting it back where he found it with a stern face.

"If the oxygen masks fall," Nick declared as she sat down at the aisle seat, "don't expect me to help the one sitting next to me, Eleanor Bishop."

"Noted," Ellie replied with a laugh, "so why don't we... talk... to ease your nerves for the time being?"

He looked at her with narrowing eyes, pondering if she was joking or laughing at him, but nodded all the same.

"Okay. What do you want to talk about?"

Ellie faced him with uncertainty, her eyes darting from the seat in front of her to the people passing by to get to their places. She coughed lightly and started to fidget with her hands. Nick glanced at them, noticing the gesture, but quickly raised his eyes to her face again, making sure he didn't make her more uncomfortable.

"So did you... did you have the chance to ask that girl you're seeing... at the gym... as-your-plus-one?" the words came out briskly as if she suddenly had to catch her breath.

Ellie lifted her head when she noticed Nick didn't answer right away. He was already staring at her, chest going up and down as he breathed with difficulty.

"No," Nick blurted, "No, I didn't have the chance... you know, work."

Ellie nodded with a puzzled look. She wasn't certain what work had to do with any of it, they were going on vacation for the next few days.

"And you-"

"No, I gave up," she interrupted, shaking her head, "this party is for Tony and Ziva, not for matchmaking. Besides, I don't have the energy right now for that kind of stuff."

"Hmmm," Nick said, eyebrows furrowing, "let's make a deal, then," he sighed.

"What kind of deal?"

"We can be each other's plus-one," he told her carefully, the words coming out slowly, "and then no one will bother you."

"Hmmm," Ellie answered, not noticing she had just mimicked him from moments ago. Nick’s eyes glistened with a spark of uncertainty that probably matched her own as he waited for her answer. "Okay. Deal."

They shook hands, looking into each other's eyes for a second too long. Someone shouted another person’s name at the back of the plane and that brought them back to reality, making them withdraw quickly. Nick cleared his throat and stared back ahead, though it was clear his mouth was now tilted up in a soft smile.

"As soon as all your admirers lay eyes on my toned body at a greek crystal blue beach," Nick said as he flexed his muscles, "they're gonna run to the mainland."

Ellie huffed a laugh as redness started to grow from her neck to her cheeks and her ears started to feel warm. They shared a rare look between them and yes, yes she liked this. This sense of friendship that settled easily when they were alone and how relaxed she felt to joke with him. 

She had a feeling this was going to be a great weekend.

"Eleanor Bishop, _is that you_?" a voice came from the seat at the other side of the aisle.

It belonged to a man in his mid-thirties, bright blue eyes, short brown hair. Broadly built. Took out all the space of his chair, legs tightened by the chair in front of him. Handsome. Really handsome.

"Phew," she said, now the color of beetroot, "do I know you...?"

"I'm Richard," he said, stretching his hand to shake hers, "Richard Wayne, from high school? We used to study together."

"RICHARD WAYNE, OH MY GOD," Ellie shook his hand vigorously, "wow, you've changed."

"And you didn't. Not a thing," he cast a dazzling smile her way and she wondered if the heat she was feeling was visible in her face. "I'm here for a wedding."

"You are? How convenient-"

"Hey, Bishop, hey," Torres started to punch her arm, trying to get a better look at the stranger, but she kept moving in front of him to block his view.

"-Tony and Ziva's wedding?"

"Yeah, in fact," Richard answered with a puzzled look as he tried to understand what Nick was trying to do. "I used to help Tony when he needed something back from Baltimore PD. I'm a cop now, he taught me all I know when I was younger..." Nick continued trying to push Ellie away repeatedly, "you going to the wedding as well? Wow, that's a coincidence. Bride or groom?"

"Both- HEY!"

Nick managed to push the button that declined her chair, and now that Ellie was almost at a 180-degree angle, he stretched himself on top of her to hold his hand for the stranger.

"Nick Torres, her plus-one," he said with his chin up and chest inflated. "And yeah, both. Both bride AND groom. WE are close friends to them."

"Oh, I see," the man huffed a laugh, raising his eyebrows as he looked at Ellie, "well, nice to see you, Eleanor."

"You too," she blurted out as she raised her chair to the normal angle.

"I hope I see you at the ceremony."

"Yeah yeah, have a nice flight," Nick said loudly, his tone muffling whatever Ellie had said. She punched his shoulder but he didn't even flinch, just looked at her with a scowl.

"Too late for that, Bishop. A deal is a deal." But something in his eyes told her he didn’t like the interaction, nor the fact that she seemed so bothered by it. Well, she didn’t owe him an explanation, but a warm feeling started growing inside at the face of his blunt jealously.

Ellie decided not to question his actions and to keep her objective in mind: have some fun for a change. She wasn’t here for men, and she definitely wasn’t here to fight her chance in love, or whatever that was. Dating? Flirting?

She didn’t care and had already pulled her book while Nick stole glances at her reaction, not speaking a word on the matter. _Good_ , she thought. She could make her own choices.

"Are you going to help the guys with the kids as well, Gibbs?" asked Jack Sloane to the man sitting next to her while she browsed a fashion magazine.

Gibbs straightened up in his chair, opening one of his eyes to look at her with a smirk.

"They're all kids to me," he replied.

* * *

"You look a bit worn out in this picture. Hair sticking out to every direction, dark circles under your eyes..."

Seagulls sang their summer melody over his head, flying from the cliffs to the wooden stakes which held the pier bridge. The crystal blue water reflected the sky perfectly, the rays of sunshine scattered across the light waves. The air smelled of saltwater and orange juice, with a faint touch of dried fish. Children ran at the pier with kites on their hands, feet making the wood tremble with their movement. Colors were splashed on every surface, from light blue to bright yellow and shiny pink, in clothes hanged in small shops and the various drinks at the hands of tourists and villagers.

The sun warmed his skin but the wind made it pleasant.

"What do you mean by worn out, bro?" asked Nick to customs officer sitting in the booth by the pier with his passport in hand.

The man lifted his head and his scowl deepened. He was bald and had tanned skin, a beard with flakes of white framing his face.

"Hmmm... it appears you're worn out in real life too," he declared as he pressed a stamp in Nick's passport loudly, dark eyes staring at him inquisitively.

"Wait, what the-"

"NEEEXT."

Nick had no chance of responding before gently being nudged aside by Jack, who put her passport on the booth’s counter and happily greeted the operative.

The man looked at the document and then back at her. One, two, three times.

"Is everything alright?" she asked with an eyebrow raised.

"You cut your hair."

"Yeah..." answered Sloane as she touched the ends of her hair lightly, "it's easier to maintain this way."

The man scowled and then shrugged, handing her passport back with a new stamp on it, "I prefer it shorter," he said, motioning vaguely to his own bald head, which made Jack cast him a puzzled look.

"Oh, thank-"

"NEEEXT."

Gibbs approached the booth and took out his sunglasses, handing his passport to the man without saying a word. The officer straightened in his chair, fixing his tie in its place. He looked at the document and then back at Gibbs gravely.

"Where are you going, Leroy Jethro Gibbs?"

Gibbs' eyes narrowed slightly, "to the boat. There's a wedding on the island."

"Hmmm, I see."

The customs official kept flipping his passport, counting all the stamps on each page, taking his time.

"Is there anyone accompanying you, sir?"

Gibbs coughed softly and blinked a few times. He looked at Sloane, who was waiting for him just beside the boat which would take them to their accommodations. She waved to him. He smiled.

"Yes. Yes, I think there is."

The officer pressed a stamp at the passport, but just as Gibbs tried to grab it, his hands wouldn't let it go.

"You... You think?" he asked, eyes glinting with an amused sparkle.

"I know," Gibbs replied steadily.

"Hmmm," muttered the officer just as he released the document.

Gibbs opened up a rare smile and walked towards the group, ticket in hand. He heard a commotion and turned back for a moment.

The officer was bending forward on the counter, half of his body visible out of the booth.

"IF YOU CHANGE YOUR MIND, I'LL BE FIRST IN LINE-"

Gibbs was laughing out loud when he held out his arm for Jack to hold.

"He's a bit weird for an officer, don't you think?" she asked.

"At my age, nothing is weird anymore," he replied with a smile.

They stepped into the boat together, the wind tousling their hair and the sun kissing their skin. It was crowded but not so much, the type of crowd that makes you feel welcomed, not restrained. Tourists and villagers wore bright colored clothes and laughed with drinks on their hands, a touch of summer glistening on their skin. It was pleasant and rare, the atmosphere that exuded the feeling of vacation without much difficulty. The sun shone brightly above and Gibbs couldn’t help but smile. It had been too long since he felt relaxed like that.

"Agent Gibbs," a voice came from the man deck, loud and reverberating.

Anthony DiNozzo Senior was waving at them, a charming smile displayed for the group. He carried a glass filled with a substance very similar to whiskey and on his other arm laid a young woman in a bikini, blond hair dancing in the wind. He gave her a slight nod and she quickly found somewhere else to be. Senior opened up his welcoming arms to invite everyone to the main deck, his eyes twinkling.

"How very nice to see you all.” His velvet tone was familiar and friendly, his face lit up with the prospects of a wedding about to happen. The man did enjoy a good party.

"Not agent, just Jethro for the weekend, Mr. DiNozzo," said Gibbs.

"Oh, call me Senior then, Jethro." They gave each other a brief hug, patting each other's backs. "And who is this beauty by your side?"

He looked at Sloane curiously, raising her hand to his lips to kiss it lightly. Sloane said nothing but one of her eyebrows shot up, and the glance she stole from Gibbs told him enough that she found Senior more amusing than intrusive.

"Jacqueline Sloane," Gibbs answered facing her, not Senior, a smile dancing on his lips. "This is DiNozzo's father."

"Nice to meet you," she shook his hand with a bright smile.

"The pleasure is all mine," Senior said with a charming smirk and his soft eyes sparkled with playfulness, reminding him of his son. "Oh, don't worry, Jethro," he squeezed his shoulder slightly, "I won't go near her, she's all yours. For now," he added with a laugh.

Sloane chuckled, her cheeks turning red against her will as she spoke. "But why do you think-" 

"YOU'RE HEEEEEERE!!! YOU'RE ACTUALLY HEEEEEERE!!!"

Without warning, the air in his lungs was compressed harshly and Gibbs felt his body leaning backwards at once, being pushed by someone who came running to meet him.

She hugged him very tightly.

"Abbs, hey, Abbs," he said softly, caressing her hair, "I'm not going anywhere. Hey. Too... tight..."

"Oh, sorry, Gibbs, I just can't believe you're here it feels like a dream come true after all these weeks looking at your picture on my phone it's just everyone's here and I'm-"

"Abby. Breathe."

"Yeah. Breathe. Important," Abby breathed in and out, in and out until she started to relax and the world slowed down.

Gibbs held her shoulders throughout the process, eyes darting from her face to her outfit. She wore a skeleton swimsuit with a long wide piece of dark purple cloth tied at her waist. Four buns were displayed symmetrically on her hair, red sunglasses up her head. It was as if the years hadn't passed at all.

"I've missed you, Abbs," he kissed her cheek.

"I've missed you more," was her warm reply.

"Aunt Abby is here!" exclaimed Morgan, trying to get down from her stroller. Her brother was sleeping soundly, arms around a fuzzy shark toy. She held her hands out towards Abby and looked to her mother asking her soundlessly to let her go.

"Heeeey, Morgie," said Abby. Delilah helped Abby raise the girl in her arms, who smiled widely once she was up in the air. "Where's the best hug in the world?" asked Abby joyfully. 

"I like your bikini,” Morgan replied.

"That's very kind,” Abby kissed her hair and rocked her in her arms. “Thank you very much."

"Abby..." McGee sighed heavily, quickly opening a big joyful smile as he stopped pushing the twins' stroller. He seemed to relax when he halted right beside her. 

"Only Tony and Ziva to get everyone in the same place," he said.

"Oh, McGee," Abby gave him a side hug with her free arm, "I've missed you so."

They smiled widely until their faces started to hurt, but the joy of the moment made it irrelevant.

"Nick Torres. I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay at the pier."

"And why's that, Ellie Bishop?"

"We're going by boat. And you," Ellie pushed her index finger on his chest, "said that you wouldn't even step inside a boat again."

"It was a SHIP, this is almost a cruise," Nick grabbed a sparkly drink of a waitress passing by, "besides, can't you _see_?"

"I'm fairly certain we all can see, Nick," added Kasie, hands shading her eyes from the light as she laughed at her own words. The sun up in the sky was relentless, heat hugging her from everywhere. A light orange cloth around her afro hair complimented her in the summer scenario. It was as if she belonged to the colors and energy of the trip.

"That's exactly what I mean, Kasie," Nick flexed his arms, visible from the white tank top he was wearing, and sat on a deck chair, sipping his new drink. "It's Nick Torres,” he gestured to himself. “On a sun lounger. With a drink in his hands, translucent seawater by his feet and a prospering opportunity of a couple of days of paradise."

"You're talking in the third person, creep," Ellie replied with a roll of her eyes, "and this Tony and Ziva's wedding, don't mess it up."

Nick stood up and got closer to her until they were sharing the same air. Bishop stopped breathing altogether, but her eyes didn't leave his.

"How long since you let yourself truly relax on your last vacation, agent Bishop?" Nick asked.

She huffed a laugh, eyes raising from his lips to his big dark eyes, "touché," was all Ellie replied.

"I'm- I'm gonna find some refreshments," said Kasie awkwardly, "want something, Ellie?"

A loud horn sounded across the boat and the passengers started to swing at a slow pace. Seagulls flew overhead and the midday sun shone proudly in the clear blue sky. Children waved from the pier, kites forgotten by their feet. A man started to sing a loud, vibrant song in Spanish, followed by a whole band picking up their instruments one by one, guitars, bongos and tambourines. His voice was clear and powerful, resonating on all parts of the main deck. Everyone started to cheer everywhere, clapping with the song.

"Can I have everyone's attention, please?" asked Jimmy with a glass raised, eyes searching the team among the other passengers. They got closer to him, all laughing and relaxed.

"May this weekend be as close to perfect as it can be, may us be happy in our stay and may the family welcome with opened arms the new, but old in a way, couple,” Jimmy said with an open smile. “To Tony and Ziva."

"To Tony and Ziva!" everyone exclaimed.

Victoria climbed on his shoulders and smiled up to the seagulls in the sky, her little sunglasses slipping from her head.

"My lady," Jimmy said as he handed her the whistle around his neck.

She blew it with all her strength, receiving smiles and loud cheers in return.

"Victoria just started our very first vacation as an NCIS family. To us!"

"To us!" Everyone clinked their glasses.


	4. The island

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"But what love has bound together, time cannot unbind."_  
>  \- Germain Nouveau

"Have we died and reached paradise or am I dreaming?" asked Nick looking up to the clear blue sky.

The team stood assembled at the bridge that connected the sea to the island, every single one of them laughing after dancing non-stop to the songs from the boat. Their tongues tasted of bubbly champagne and citric fruit, the wind playing with their hair and the hats that scaped occasionally from their heads. The early afternoon sun was reflected on the slow waves of the pier, seagulls a constant subject of the light blue sky, following the passengers from the boat to the coconut trees. White painted every surface, from the large circular domes to the infinite steep stairs of restaurants and balconies, mixed between wide, ancient stone walls separating the many houses. 

Bright yellow flowers colored the wooden stakes of the bridge, intertwined with olive branches and other herbs. At the end of it, a small wooden sign was placed on the sand, an arrow pointing northeast to one side of the beach, next to a message in elegant handwriting.

**Welcome to our beginning.  
** **Please, have lots of fun.  
** **\- love, T and Z.**

Little bare feet came running towards the group, raising sand on its way as the summer air filled with giggles. 

She clung to Gibbs' leg and looked up, a few strands of hair coming loose from her braid which was swinging in the wind. She wore a little white dress with a floral pattern. A big gap-toothed smile framed her face as he raised her to his arms, receiving a sweet kiss on the cheek on return.

"Hey, Tali," he said softly as the other members of the team greeted her as well, making her shy for a moment when she hid her face on the crook of his neck, "where's your father?"

"On your six, boss," a familiar voice greeted them.

Gibbs had never seen Tony look so happy. He was tanned, small freckles painting his cheekbones and a wide grin displayed on his lips. Like his daughter, he was also barefoot, a Hawaiian shirt complimenting his look along with black sunglasses which he put on his front pocket. 

"Finally you've arrived, I was starting to doubt if my specialist on weddings would come to support my own," he added with a smile, squeezing Gibbs' shoulder, "I promise it'll only be one though, I don't have your kind of vigor, boss."

He received a head slap in return.

"Nothing changed, uh?"

"It never will, DiNozzo."

Gibbs put Tali down for a moment to give a proper hug on his former agent, patting his back firmly.

"You've done well, son," he whispered in his ear.

"Don't you dare me make emotional right now, I have a feeling my eyes will sweat a lot during the weekend," Tony replied with a smile.

They let go and Tony surveyed the team, clasping his hands together.

"Now to presentations," he continued, "my fondest, warmest, kindest welcomes, everyone, it is a pleasure to have you here. I see old faces and new faces," he glanced at Torres and Kasie and smiled, "and me and Tali here are glad that you came all the way from DC to witness this _miracle._ And where is the Rapunzel of the story? Well, funny you should ask, she's currently going mad about the color of the table cloths and if we should put lights on or off in a wedding set at sundown. Who knew crazy Israeli ninja was so fond of this kind of stuff?"

"We _all_ knew, Tony," said Palmer.

"Yeah, yeah, that's why I'm marrying her," he replied with a warm smirk, "so... she told me she'd meet you up the hill, where you'll be staying, with lots of food and drinks as an apology. Go easy on her, she still has a wedding to attend tomorrow and I'm quite scared she'll go entirely Daenerys before it happens. Then I'll have to marry McGroom and fulfill his lifetime secret dream."

"Oh, give me a break, will you," McGee huffed a laugh, his lips turning upwards instantly.

"You'll never have a break from me, McDad. Never. I will hunt you when we both become ghosts, chasing you around the cemetery as I scream McBoooo," he lifted Tali in the air, tickling her sides before putting her back down on the ground.

"How long have you been holding this joke?"

"Well, it's been a while since I've seen you, Probie, now that you're a dad of these little monsters, you've been quite busy, uh?" he winked to Delilah, "two of them running around the house-"

"Just you wait," McGee replied with a grin.

"How indiscreet, McGoo, what are you-"

Abby coughed loudly, gesturing to the wooden sign with wide eyes.

"Oh, let's get out of the sun immediately," said Tony gratefully, "Ziva made a whole schedule we have to follow and, to be fair, it's quite good. She should think about working with that instead of being a trained assassin."

"Ladies, with me!" exclaimed Abby, a hand raised in the air, "I'll be your greek tour guide for the weekend! Yaaay! We'll go up the hill by van so we can appreciate our surroundings," she winked to Delilah, who nodded thankfully from her wheelchair, "I'll be the best guide there is, you're lucky you didn't end up with Tony."

"Hey!" Tony complained with a smile, "no one knows how to have fun better than _I_ do. Okay, guys and little monsters, with me! Apparently, Tali has everything already under control."

"Mermaids!" was all Tali said, running towards Victoria next to Jimmy.

The group dispersed, going to different directions. Tony approached Ellie, who was standing next to the one of the faces he didn't know. The guy wore a white tank top and a Panama hat, his arms sculped and a knowing smile on his lips.

"You must be the wuss," said Tony holding his hand out.

"News fly," Nick faltered for a moment and glanced at Ellie, cheeks a bit red.

"Wuss...?" she asked confused.

"Ziva told me you let her win a fight," Tony intercepted with a knowing look at Bishop, "I'm impressed, rumors are she killed Houdini."

"Houdini? As in the magician?" asked Ellie.

"She doesn't recall all the names, she said," answered Tony with a smile, twinkling eyes directed to Torres, "if you excuse us gentlemen, agent Bishop," he kissed her hand, "we got to get to some donkeys."

"DONKEYS?" asked Nick startled, a laugh escaping his lips.

"A big greek wedding, my friend, donkeys are a must." 

Tony wrapped an arm around the man's shoulders, directing him towards the right path.

"Just so you know," he muttered in a tone only Nick could hear, "I made my own personal mission to make you tell her how you feel by the end of this weekend."

Nick glanced to Tony, who was casting him a mischievous smile.

"Then where's the alcohol, bro?"

"I like you already."

°°°

"One... two... three!" Tali placed her little legs on top of Tony's shoulders, his hands firmly gripping her ankles from below, "push the button," he said as he held his index finger high for Tali.

She pushed it slightly with her finger, just as her father yelled "HERE WE GO!" and started to swing his body from side to side. A moment later, a loud splash could be heard across the waves, the white seafoam coloring the crystal blue water. Tony emerged with Tali wrapped around his torso, happy giggles echoing all around on a sunny afternoon. 

"Uncle Tim, Uncle Tim!" exclaimed Victoria, wearing bright pink arm floats and a little floral cap, as she pointed at something underwater, "there, I can see it!"

"Where?" he looked at the place she was showing, Morgan in his arms with wet pigtails, "oh, I see it. You've found a big one, good job!"

He let his daughter float at the slow waves as he dived down to grab something at the bottom of the ocean. 

"Ooooh," said Victoria out loud, hands on her cheeks, "can I touch it?"

"Yes, just do it slowly, it's a little gooey," said McGee as he held the shining orange starfish at the girls' direction.

Vitoria's little finger touched it softly, but she backed away as soon as she got to know its texture. 

"No, no, I don't wanna touch it," said Morgan as she gripped her father's arm hard. 

"It's okay, Morgan, let's just put it back where it belongs then, uh?"

He dived again to put the starfish at the sand bottom and surfaced a moment later, Victoria already swimming to another location to search for a new sea creature.

"First you turn your hands into a vessel, like this," Jimmy laid one hand atop of each other, "close it tight, like you're gonna catch water, and then blow steady between your knuckles, like this."

A loud high pitch whistle reverberated across the rocks they were sitting when Jimmy blew inside his hand, similar to the sound of a clear flute. 

"Whoah, do it again!" exclaimed Johnny, trying to mimic his hands.

"Just like the Cherokee Indians," Jimmy repeated the whistle, now changing the notes and creating a soft melodic pattern.

The coconut trees swayed with the wind, the rays of sunshine kissing their skin and marking their cheeks with soft freckles as it descended on the horizon. Minutes stretched into hours, and time turned fake in the children's hands. It seemed infinite. The afternoon could go on forever.

It was paradise.

A loud whistle blew from the sand, revealing Senior calling the group with an energetic wave. He walked towards Gibbs, who was sitting in the shade carving up something out of a piece of wood. 

"Can't they stay like this forever?" asked Senior, a sad note in his voice.

"No," Gibbs replied, looking to the horizon, eyes hard and sad, "no, they cannot."

The children came running towards the plates of strawberries and pineapple, screaming with delight and raising clouds of sand in their wake. They threw themselves on the colorful pillows scattered on the sand floor, wet bodies splashing drops of seawater all around them. Their fathers came close behind, Tony shaking his body like a wet dog making everybody laugh. 

"Palmer, can I talk to you for a sec?" he asked softly, after drying Tali's wet hair with a towel.

"Yeah, of course," Jimmy passed the coconut to McGee and got up, going with Tony towards the sea again. 

Once their feet touched the waves, Tony turned to him, arms crossed and face furrowed in concern.

"Did you have the chance to bring it? I know I shouldn't ask you that, it's just, I think she would-"

Jimmy opened up a smile.

"What are you talking about? Of course I did, they don't call me a man of honor for nothing," he replied, squeezing Tony's shoulders slightly, "don't worry, my friend, everything's gonna be fine. Great, even, you'll see."

"I'm not worried."

Tony raised his clear eyes to Palmer, but the harsh laugh that escaped his lips revealed otherwise. The men laughed together, patting each other in the back and walking towards the children.

"Have you ever been closer to paradise than this place?" asked Torres, sitting on the slackline he had just proudly crossed, with sunkissed skin and eyes facing where the sky met the sea.

"Did you know the definition of 'paradise' ultimately comes from an Iranian word that the Greeks modified into _paradeisos_ , meaning 'enclosed park'," answered Ducky, a bottle of cold water in his hand, "in Hellenistic Greek, "paradeisos" was also used in the Septuagint - an early Greek translation of Jewish scriptures - in reference to the Garden of Eden. So we are staying where the word came from."

"I'm gonna take that as a no," Nick replied laughing.

"I've arrived a little bit later than I've expected and I didn't have the chance to see young Eleanor," Ducky sent an amused look to Torres, "is she well?"

"You too, Ducky? Can't no one give me a break?"

"Oh, I'm only asking, Nicholas, you seemed rather close," but Ducky's eyes were not so clueless.

"I'm sorry, yeah, yeah, she's great," Nick replied shrugging.

Ducky let out a charming laugh, looking up to the clear sky, "I think this is the worst-case scenario for someone to give you a break, Nick. We are at the wedding of another office couple, after all."

"Another...?"

Nick pointed his index finger to Ducky and then put it on his lips, asking for silence, "please don't go spreading out this idea to the others, Doctor Mallard." 

He stood up and with a surfboard under his arm, Nick raced towards the ocean. The wind was perfect for surfing at the calm waves.

Ducky reclined himself on his sun lounger, taking a sip of his cold water, "oh, I think they already know, kid," he laughed to the sky.

°°°

"To your left. No, your other left. Yeah, up a little bit. A little bit more-"

A loud crash sounded when the glass jar shattered at the tiles, flowers and candles scattering everywhere. Ziva cursed in a foreign language, already bending down to the clean the mess on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Ziv," said a younger cousin of her, who came along with her family from Tel Aviv to eat and dance for free, as well as try to help her with the numerous decorations. She was hanging the lights up in the olive trees, but there were so many of them to coordinate with the flowers and pieces of cloth, even Ziva was a bit confused with where to put them.

"It's okay, Sorsha, I'll handle it later," she replied with a smile to the young girl standing up at the ladder, a guilty expression on her face.

"We still have to set the tables and wrap the gifts and talk to the band," proceeded Ziva exasperated, sighing tiredly with the back of her hand rubbing her forehead.

"And test the lights," added Sorsha, who now ticked things out of a small paper list, "and see if the cake turned out okay."

"That Odette is taking care of, you can cross it out."

"And welcome the guests."

Ziva stopped where she stood and turned around as soon as she recognized that voice.

"Breena," Ziva opened a wide grin to her old friend, who came running to hug her tightly, "I'm so glad you're all here!"

Ziva greeted every one of them with a kiss on the cheek, bending down to talk to Delilah.

"You must be the one who finally stole Tim's lion heart," she said with a knowing glance.

"I know, I'm still shocked from time to time," Delilah replied with a smile.

Ziva gave her a thankful nod, and no words were needed.

"Okay. Food. You must be starving," she came back to her worried self, tying her hair into a knot, "I just need to check a few things."

"Hey, are you okay?" asked Jack, her professional voice taking over, "Ziva, I think you need to relax for a bit. You're the _bride_ , remember? How can we help?"

"Take her out of here," declared Odette, who was guiding two people with a large flower vase nearby, hands on her hips and a meaningful smile at Ellie, "or I will myself prohibit her getting any closer."

"I'm- I'm sorry. I think I bit more than I can screw," said Ziva, trying to recompose herself.

"What...?" asked Kasie, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"We called it Zivaisms," answered Abby, grabbing Ziva's arm and leading her towards the accommodations, not caring about any response, "when Tony is not around to correct her, we just ignore the weird and move on."

"I tend to do a lot of ignoring the weird and moving on down at that lab," remarked Kasie.

Abby looked at her with a wide grin, then started to jump up and down, not being able to contain her excitement. She let go of Ziva to run towards Kasie and hug her tightly, while the bride just burst out laughing with the scene, finally letting herself relax. 

"We have so much to talk about," said Abby, arm wrapped around Kasie's shoulders, "what kind of music you play there now?"

"Uh-"

"It doesn't matter, I'm so excited there's finally someone who understands. YAAAY!"

They walked together until they arrived at the lodgings, stationed just above the sea, the white stone balconies disappearing among the many similar others along the coast. The air smelled of sea salt, dried herbs, and the feeling of freedom of a new vacation about to start. Ziva entered the bridal room, making everyone cheer when she showed the sign of "Future Mrs." placed at her door. A smooth wooden table filled with plates of fruit, various types of seeds and pastries greeted them, along with bottles of cold champagne and rosé wine. Across the hall, a white bed was stationed in front of a large floor to ceiling open window, the big beige curtains flying with the ocean wind.

The view was magnificent. 

It was close to the sea so it was possible to discern the silhouettes of the villagers, but far enough to have some privacy. The sound of the waves could be heard all over the room as they hit the cliffs, the constant splashing a calming tune. A small dressing table was placed near the windows, seashells covering the whole surface around the mirror. 

Only three objects were set on top of it.

A photograph of Rivka and Eli David, arms wrapped around each other when they were incredibly young, the Jordan mountaintops behind them. Its frame was made of pearls.

A photograph of Ziva holding her sister Tali's hand, her brother Ari at her other side, all laughing, their bicycles laid on the ground. Its frame was made of buttons.

And a photograph of a man pointing to the camera, his eyes looking towards a little girl whose face was dirty with the chocolate ice cream she held in her hands. Tali was smiling, her baby teeth appearing through her mouth in a wide grin, dark brown eyes twinkling. Tony was also beaming, as if it was the first time he made her truly laugh. 

That one she didn't frame on purpose, the paper almost damaged with time and constant folding to pocket size. It was the most precious to her.

"Whoah, that's a hell of a view," said Kasie, eyebrows raised and mouth opened in an oval shape.

" _Perfect,_ wouldn't you say?" Abby replied, sending Ziva a naughty grin and wiggling her brows.

"Abby," Ziva huffed a nervous laugh, her cheeks reddening in a rare moment, "this isn't where we are going to stay for the honeymoon."

"Why not?! It's the perfect place, with a great view of the stars, and the sea-"

"Abby," Ziva stopped her, "he did not want to tell me about it."

Every woman looked at Ziva, all casting disbelieving glances at each other.

"Really?" asked Jack, "is he that good?"

Ziva smiled shyly, looking down to her feet.

"Yeah," she answered, "yeah, he is."

Giggles filled her room, and for the first time in her life, Ziva David was grateful to have such a great female company.

"I'm so glad that you're here, ladies. I was getting suffocated with all the planning and the last minute decorations. At least Tony is taking care of Tali, or else she would've wanted to opine on everything," she smiled with the thought.

"So, Ziva, tell us the news! How did Tony propose?" asked Ellie, sitting down at a nearby chair after Abby popped open a bottle of champagne, "we didn't hear anything about you until the invitations arrived."

"That... that's a very long and funny story, but we have something more important to discuss first."

Ziva grabbed a grape and threw it in her mouth, chewing slowly while studying Ellie, who seemed a bit nervous with the sudden turn in the conversation.

"Eleanor, will I need to give you the bouquet directly or are you already aware that Nicholas is fond of you?"

Ellie froze. Her cheeks blushed until the redness reached her ears, and she huffed a laugh while putting a loose strand of her hair behind her ear.

"What? No. Nick? Puff, no way. He's... he's just... he's my partner. We're coworkers, nothing will happen."

Everyone glanced at her with a bemused look.

"You do realize what we're doing here this weekend, don't you, Ellie?" asked Sloane carefully, placing her hand on top of Bishop's.

"A wedding?" Abby giggled, "Of... coworkers...?" she added.

Ellie opened up a shy smile when the women started to shake her shoulders and cheer, her cheeks turning even redder than she thought it was possible.

"Don't worry, uh?" Ziva cast her an honest look, "just have fun and I promise you, time will tell."

°°°

"HEY TATER TOTS," called Nick from the water, four kids giggling behind him on the low waves, "HEY, BISHOP!"

Ellie startled where she was lying down on a sun lounger, back facing the sun and wearing a high waisted bikini set. The warmth made her head dizzy with sleep, and she was so tired from the long journey, she didn't even notice when the back massage Ziva arranged for her ended and when she started to only sunbathe.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT, BRUSSELS SPROUTS?"

"I have a dare for you."

She startled once again when she realized he was standing just next to her, drops of water wetting her shoulder when he bent down to whisper in her ear.

"What... what dare?" she turned around carefully, hands shading the sun from her eyes as her skin started to tingle with the sight of Nick's silhouette against the sun.

"I dare you to do a better handstand than those kids."

"What?" _That was unexpected._

"The one with the higher score is Tali. For now. Johnny said that it was because she was older, so I told him you're older than any of them and doesn't know how to do a proper handstand."

Ellie snorted a derisive laugh, taking Nick's hand to help her stand up, "do you think Eleanor Bishop doesn't know how to do the most simple summer thing such as a handstand?"

"You're talking in third person, creep," he repeated her words from hours before, racing with her towards the kids. Sounds of constant laughter and waves crashing echoed all around.

Abby had taken every one to show a little cave she found with clear hot springs inside, near the cliffs on the other side of the beach. Gibbs and Jack had gone to the opposite direction, walking in the sand until they weren't visible anymore around the bend.

Meanwhile, Ziva had arranged back massages for her and Ellie to enjoy the little spare time she had before the big event.

She now was lying down at a recliner chair, knots on her back coming undone by the amazing hands of the venue massagist. Her maroon bikini top was untied and she rested at the shade, palm trees swaying with the wind next to her. Her mouth tasted of cold sparkling wine, the sensation of bubbles exploding on her tongue still lingering. All she could hear was the wind, the birds and the sea nearby.

"Hmmm," she moaned as the massagist touched a particularly painful spot. Her vertebrae cracked carefully under his fingers and the muscles started to slowly relax. 

It was heaven.

"Hmmm, just like that, yeah."

"Miss?" asked the young massagist in a polite tone.

"Hmmm...?" was all she could muster.

Ziva heard the loud sound of children laughing far away, followed by one "I win!" muffled by the powerful wind. She didn't have a clue what that might be, but she smiled softly with the thought.

The massagist's hands left her back from a moment, the wind caressing her skin and making her shiver.

"Uhh," he said, a nervous note distinguishable in his voice, "are you the one getting married, miss?"

His hands returned, massaging her shoulders and the back of her neck as she moaned out loud with the sensation. She was alone and didn't care about anything or anyone, to be honest. Tony was showing the surroundings to the guests with Abby and Tali was playing in the sand with the other kids. This was her moment, and hers alone.

"Yes, yes I am."

"And... and who is the groom?" the young man asked politely, voice now steadier once she stopped with the moaning.

"He..." Ziva did it again just to feel him stiffen, biting her lower lip as a loud sound escaped her throat, "his name is Tony. Tall guy. Talks a lot."

_This is still too easy._

It was few the moments in her life Ziva David had truly felt like a woman, only when her job demanded and when her guilty desire asked her to. Now, she had a little girl who asked her about princess' stories and glittery clothes, a good man at her side whose eyes always landed on her filled with need and a wedding party about to happen. 

With a white gown and something blue included.

It all seemed like a dream, after years running away and hiding from Sahar, she was now in this beautiful place with all her family to cherish her _wedding_. 

The girl who ran all her life had finally found herself.

"Is he... is he here?" asked the massagist, hands trailing down her lower back with care.

"Yes, he is. Well, not now, but you know, I do hope he is at the wedding, at least."

"Of course."

He changed the position of his hands to press down at her calves and Ziva purred in delight. She felt him bending down to massage the back of her knee, so she moaned once again just to play with him, her sassiness on overdrive. 

"Is he, you know, strong? Knows how to fight?"

Ziva's mind filled with images of Tony with shoulder holsters and sweaty skin, and she had to bite her lip again to prevent her from muttering anything too inappropriate. Gosh, the waiting for this honeymoon would make her explode with greed until there. 

"Yeah, I'm afraid he's pretty good at it."

The massagist hands trailed the back of her thigh, making a skip from her hips to her lower back again.

"Is he... good looking?"

"Oh," she smiled with the sight of him in formal attire tomorrow, "oh yeah-"

Her voice abandoned her as she felt the young man bending down atop of her and doing a fast lick at the shell of her ear.

"HEY, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?" 

She quickly grasped her bikini top to turn around and stand up, wanting to punch him right away, but his body pressed her down at the chair, laying on top of her back. 

He was too heavy, and for a second she couldn't move from the position she was lying down. 

She had to think fast. 

She had to found a quick way out of here.

"I could ask you the same thing, Dah-veed."

Tony's raspy voice caressed the back of her ear just as he came closer to place a lingering kiss on the crook of her neck.

"You have no self-respect moaning like that, do you?" he grabbed her hair to position her neck how he liked, placing wet kisses from her shoulder to her earlobe, "you have no respect for the groom also, uh? You _do_ know he's obeying your wishes to wait until the honeymoon, don't you?"

He kissed her neck, again and again, and again, making her dizzy and hot and sweaty. Her skin began to prickle wherever he touched and she could feel a tingling sensation starting to grow strong at the base of her belly.

"You do know," another kiss, "that you're driving him crazy," another kiss, "with your bikini like that?"

She started to shiver and couldn't take it anymore as one of his hands trailed down to grab her firmly at the waist. 

"Tony, I-" a loud moan escaped her lips as he pressed his whole body hard on her back.

"He can't. Wait. For tomorrow. Sweetcheeks," he said slowly, the syllables leaving his lips just as he placed kiss after kiss on her neck, again and again, making her want to scream, her heart threatening to explode.

Tony planted a wet smooch on her ear, making a loud 'pop' as he moved away, letting her turn around. An amused smirk danced on his lips as his green eyes gave an appreciate gaze down her body, waiting for her as she tied her bikini. The young massagist was nowhere to be found.

"It was you all along?"

He opened up a boyish smile, eyes growing dark as his gaze lingered on her lips a moment too long.

"Did you really think a massage that good could be done by a shaky little guy in training?"

Ziva chuckled, licking her lips as she watched Tony's eyes carefully trace her tongue with hard focus.

"How much did you give him to ask that stuff?"

"Your habilities are faltering, Israeli, once upon a time you could sense me in your sleep just by my marvelous natural musk," his eyes darted from her lips to her chocolate eyes, the color almost invisible as it became two completely black orbs.

The air between them was filled with electricity, the tension almost unbearable with Ziva licking her lips and Tony tracing her tongue with his eyes.

"Just kiss me already, will you?"

She opened up her mouth to welcome him, his wet tongue crashing into hers with obvious need, smooth and tasting of cold tequila. He moved closer to her, wrapping his arm around her waist, the other lifting to her hair as he intensified the kiss.

Ziva couldn't think straight, she felt like she had drunk at least a whole bottle of wine, mind blank with all the senses taking over her. The warmth in her belly was spreading across her body, through her veins, and, judging by the way he was groaning into her mouth, she guessed he felt the same.

They were sweating as the lust and desire for each other scrambled on the surface and the body heat between them could cause a fire. It seemed that neither of them wanted to stop the kiss.

But it was necessary to inhale, so Tony drank in her lips for one last long moment and then released them with a soft moan. He opened his eyes and licked his lips, tasting her on them as he looked at him and saw the effect of the kiss. She banged her head once lightly against the chair, feeling completely dumbfounded and, with closed eyes, took a deep breath.

"Why did we wait so long again?" Ziva asked, voice quavering and raspy.

"I ask that myself every day," Tony answered with a wide smile, "so do you think, HEY-"

A pair of steady hands gripped him at his shoulders and lifted him from the chair, just as another held his ankles and he started to be carried away from her.

"Not now, pal," said Nick, holding his ankles and moving towards the other side of the beach, "you got somewhere else to be."

"No, no, no, guys, put me down!"

"A bachelor party, I think," added Jimmy from behind, hands under Tony's arms.

"PUT ME DOWN," demanded Tony, tossing in his friends' arms.

"For the one and only _Anthony DiNozzo_ ," said McGee, winking at Ziva as she chuckled, "YOU CAN HAVE HER TOMORROW," Tim put his hands in a shell shape, his voice echoing across the beach.

"SHE'S MINE EVERY DAY," Tony yelled back, trying to turn his head towards Ziva but the guys didn't let him.

"Is he drunk?" she asked, crossing her arms and eyes twinkling.

"No, he's not," replied McGee, a knowing smirk on his lips as he nodded towards Tony, "I think he's just in love."


	5. The bachelor

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“We are most alive when we're in love._ ”  
> – John Updike

"I think _he_ did," said Ziva, chuckling.

"See, I told you, hmm humm," exclaimed Kasie, making a little victory dance where she was sitting, "I'm going to win this thing with my powerful sense of the unknown."

"What does that even _mean_ , Kasie?", asked Ellie, chewing on the end of a pen she was holding.

"It means she's very lucky, that's all," answered Breena, casting an amused smile to Kasie who replied with a mocked reverence.

"It means I know my people."

"You didn't even meet them till recently," Abby replied with her eyes closed, fingers pressing her temples and face furrowed in concentration, "I know them for ages and I DON'T REMEMBER THIS, WHAT'S HAPPENING?"

"Relax, Abby, it's just a game," Ziva replied, giggling with the whole scene.

"I just know their souls," added Kasie, casting a proud smile to Ziva, who nodded in gratitude.

"But weren't you who kissed him first when you were undercover?" asked Abby with eyes still closed, "I remember both of you telling me this on different occasions."

"But that kiss wasn't ours, we were in an operation after all," Ziva began to blush thinking about it. The mimosas were making effect.

"Then when did that happen?" asked Abby looking at Ziva exasperated, her big blue eyes wide, "how was HE the one who initiated your first kiss?"

"Well, we..." Ziva took another sip of her cold drink and smiled, "...we had our moments that summer Gibbs decided to retire."

"You didn't," exclaimed Abby, her mouth opened in an 'o' shape.

"Gibbs retired?" asked Sloane, her ears perking with the new turn in the conversation.

Ziva nodded with a knowing smirk on her lips.

"I have a feeling he'll want to do it again soon, Jack," said Ziva, her elbow knocking on Jack's, who now blushed profusely, "as I said, thank you for taking care of his heart. He needed it."

Ziva squeezed Jack's hand slightly, gratitude filling her eyes.

"Okay, okay, back to the game. Who is more romantic?" asked Delilah, pen in one hand and a list on the other.

Everyone wrote their answers quickly, casting furtive glances and giggling at one another.

"So, bride or groom?"

"Oh," Ziva opened a big wide grin, the corner of her eyes wrinkling in happiness, "he is. He is for sure. Tony is a clown with the heart of a prince, I have no idea how," she chuckled, her eyes twinkling under the moonlight.

"YEAH, I'M KILLING IT," exclaimed Kasie, who stood up in a second, her hands doing circles in front of her in a dance.

"But that's not fair! I think you're both romantic," said Abby with sad eyes, crossing something she had just written on her paper, "so I put both."

Ziva shook her head softly.

"No, he's easy. I'm complicated, he's easy." was all she said. 

"Okay, who will cry first at the wedding?"

Ziva laughed out loud with that, followed by the cheers of others, "He will. He definitely will, no doubt in that," she said, without even waiting for the girls to write their answers.

Loud laughter echoed across the stone backyard patio, the warm wind a constant reminder of the island, tousling their unbound hair. The air was hot, hugging the curves of their bodies under the clear starry sky, the moonlight reflected on their smiles and the colorful sparkling drinks on their hands. The smell of fish, tomatoes, and basil mixed up with their perfumes, plates of hot food displayed at the big circular table they were seated under a wide oak gazebo since sunset, along with sweet desserts and fresh fruit. Glowing fairy lights were placed in the tree branches across the courtyard and wrapped around the wooden columns which held the big outdoor pergola over the garden, painting their smiles in faint red, orange and blue, with the help of the shining crimson moon. 

A big sign in golden letters was hanged up in the columns on each side of Ziva's, the message behind her decorated with glittery balloons and warm tone flowers.

_Pop the champagne,  
She is changing her name._

Children ran around in the garden, their giggles spreading over the bushes and trees, the birds above responding to their calls. Tali, Victoria, and Morgan were dressed as princesses in shinning gowns and jewelry tiaras falling from their heads. They were chasing the fairies that kept going into hiding behind the flowers and fountains' shadows, with Johnny playing their knight, following them with a wooden sword placed in his shoulder. The moon guided their feet, smiling fondly with the sight from up high in the sky. The stars shone brighter than ever, reflecting on their twinkling eyes. 

Magic was real.

The afternoon stretched into evening with the ladies playing various games in Ziva's bachelorette party, from bingo to charades to quizzes, the atmosphere light and calm against the changing color of the sky. Bubbles of cold champagne tingled on their tongues, followed by the sweet taste of rosé wine and then by citric mimosas with colorful umbrellas hanging on their glasses.

A light feeling of rightness laid upon them, their vision slightly blurred and cheeks softly red in the clear night. Warmth hugged them, but the coldness in their tongues balanced it, and as they all raised their hands from time to time to clink their glasses and cheer loudly, the group of women wearing long-lasting red lipstick knew this moment was truly special and would turn into memory soon.

"Ziva," called Ellie, red lips contrasting with her blond hair and [light pink dress](https://66.media.tumblr.com/b28d9e902417b18a2d28199fddb8dc4d/d20b482ff4fc966b-b9/s500x750/cac8702ddf0b98d0b129b967a06d10c975ec991a.gif), "can I ask you a question?"

"I will make my best to answer it properly," replied Ziva, her unbound curls framing her face beautifully while she cast a carefree smile.

"Did you... Did you think you would marry Tony when you two worked together?" asked Ellie who then took a sip of her mimosa from a neon green paper straw and lifted her eyes to look at Ziva attentively. 

Ziva smirked knowingly and relaxed in her chair, crossing her arms and looking to the stars, "we... We had a connection. Since forever, I think," she sighed, "but the circumstances that we built around ourselves didn't let us wish further than a professional relationship, when we clearly weren't only that. With time though, we both realized that was no other way. There was no choice, from neither of us, we just knew. We knew that it was always meant to be. Always."

"Awwnnn, you guys are goals, I swear," added [Breena](https://66.media.tumblr.com/d7c4d03a8bf2a2aa049b0025404eb91e/d20b482ff4fc966b-aa/s500x750/4efec68de9df176e4834f8f90c4ca4fe9ad553c3.gif).

"No, I did not think I would end up marrying him," continued Ziva with a smile, "we just joked all the time, about eloping, the ring, the vows, all that stuff about soulmates and destiny... They were only dreams. I-I never thought-"

Her voice faltered and warm tears fell down her cheeks quickly, the starry sky blurring in her vision. 

She coughed slightly and [Abby](https://66.media.tumblr.com/d676c1850192d7b15b489272b0d71443/d20b482ff4fc966b-54/s500x750/e5f6d3bf293611a6b8d9f844ab4471b4bd4f1f11.gif) squeezed her shoulders hugging her tight from the side. 

"Oh god, here I am crying when I thought he would cry first at the wedding," Ziva laughed wiping her tears and inhaling deeply.

"It's okay, Ziva, let it out," said [Jack](https://66.media.tumblr.com/6e35ba344715792b94959c691cb4595a/d20b482ff4fc966b-dd/s500x750/a1ae49d5ec51156ba9aaa6801da096f3b207a09a.gif), who grasped her hand tight.

"I just- I just never thought- this was a secret dream of mine for so long, something I didn't even let myself think about too much, I was a girl dreaming about love," she took a deep breath, "but then this all happened and I'm just so glad, I'm _so_ glad you're all here," Ziva looked every woman in the eye, squeezing the hand Ellie had held out towards her for a moment, "this is the dream I've always hoped for. To be this happy... it seems unreal. It's like I'm going to wake up any second."

"We are all here. This," Abby gesture to the world around them, eyes watery, "this is _real_ , Ziva. And you, you of all people, deserve to be happy."

Ziva nodded, chuckling despite the tears tracing her cheeks, looking up towards the moon, eyes distant.

"Oh, don't make me cry," asked Breena, grabbing a tissue from her purse to wipe her eyes, "Delilah," she called with her voice weak, "I think it's time."

"Time for what?" asked [Kasie](https://66.media.tumblr.com/c1d3ff10bec6695c6845c83f16c495ea/d20b482ff4fc966b-ba/s500x750/13dab71784b19daaa65c2eb529e13228d96ebb85.gif) confusedly to both of them.

"Time to spice some things up," answered [Delilah](https://66.media.tumblr.com/1ffd0461dd576a807d06fe2c6c513167/d20b482ff4fc966b-c0/s500x750/842e4d2acfc1b91454204e989c5df511ff5948a5.gif), guiding herself out of the table to pat Ziva's arm with an amused smirk on her lips, "this is a bachelorette party, not a funeral. Let's have some fun, uh?"

As she got to the hall just outside the gardens which led to the kitchen indoor, Delilah whistled loudly with her fingers. Odette appeared in a second, carrying a tray of drinks on her hip, probably directed to the other party which was happening somewhere else on the island. 

One for the groom. 

She spoke softly to Delilah, which gestured to the garden around the pergola and the table in which the women were seated, making circular motions. The two then shared a laugh and Odette left to get something inside, looking at Ziva with a slight nod before disappearing.

"Don't tell me you brought strippers, Delilah," exclaimed Ziva when she returned to the table, a playful look in her friend's eyes.

"Stripers, no, no, girl. You need some fun. Real fun," she replied, nodding at Abby who mimicked the same gesture in return.

Abby stood in a blink, clasping her hands together and opening a big grin.

"Here comes the bride," she said, grabbing Ziva's shoulders and lifting her up from the table, "blindfold?" Abby stretched her hand out towards Breena, who put a long stripped tie on top of it.

"Blindfold...?" muttered Ziva while Abby fastened the tie around her eyes, then grabbed her shoulders and forced her to spin several times, making her even dizzier than she was before.

Excited giggles filled the air when a blindfolded bride tripped over herself but was helped by her friends to keep standing up. They guided her across the garden, each one of them with an arm on Ziva's shoulder, leading the way. 

Ziva wore a little [white dress](https://66.media.tumblr.com/4581711f72aa39b118d1cfcb75a45d50/d20b482ff4fc966b-cd/s1280x1920/31d720f09aa6dfc16137c8dd8353f6b57f5e2b74.jpg) with ruffled balloon sleeves and an adjustable bodice which ended just above her thigh, along with hoop earrings and red lipstick, a wide smile permanent on her lips.

"Where are we going?"

"Shush, you'll see," replied Breena.

They stopped abruptly and Ziva could hear the excited giggles all around, but see nothing.

"AHOY," Abby yelled towards the house, her hands in a shell shape to echo the sound.

"Oh, my god."

°°°

  
"Oh, _she_ did."

"Really? I had always thought it was you," said McGee with a confused look, resting his chin on his cue stick.

"We're talking about Ziva David here, McFool, the lioness, the knife, the act-first-ask-questions-later," answered Tony, eyes darting from the balls to the pockets of the pool table, "she practically ate my head off when we first kissed."

"And when was that again?" asked McGee, eyes squinting towards the groom wearing an open chested [white shirt](https://66.media.tumblr.com/796a988278f6dec8b5fbefaeed07a252/e90193d7726791c6-8e/s250x400/f44be4e08cc117ff3cced9c81be4e2b8dd5300ef.jpg), skin shining lightly with sweat.

Tony raised his eyes to [McGee](https://66.media.tumblr.com/e3ef1d7d8d315c6d5a648b72685fd17d/e90193d7726791c6-43/s500x750/3a69a6242dbe08481f78f1fe0980ac038a1bba00.gifv), a furtive smirk appearing in his lips, "we don't talk about that summer," he said as he bent down to shoot the 6-ball.

It crossed the pool table smoothly, entering the pocket on the farthest corner with a 'clink'.

"What summer?" asked [Jimmy](https://66.media.tumblr.com/c5c578dd1f95c4b6511b1cbbb0ef1481/e90193d7726791c6-75/s500x750/64feb439d85a1325b1d7774a110d34307df73d27.gifv), looking attentively to the colorful balls, calculating his next move.

Tony chuckled and his lips opened up in a wide grin, "the summer Gibbs retired," he said with a shrug.

"Gibbs retired?" asked [Nick](https://66.media.tumblr.com/f6a0c65cdbd96cdc3774024a4f56b29d/e90193d7726791c6-13/s400x600/8fbbb7c67d8e78ec59420f568646b02eee6cfabe.gifv), casting a disbelieving look towards the man who was playing chess with Senior on a nearby table.

"He did, actually," replied Tony, eyes following Nick to Gibbs, "golden era, that one."

"And I think I'm going to do it again with you two gossiping like that," [Gibbs](https://66.media.tumblr.com/7ca7cfdd3da2eefb8075063d83745dcf/e90193d7726791c6-41/s250x400/caee6549dcf3f813ed597eef980c5e3db139776b.gifv) said, without lifting his eyes from the chessboard.

Tony opened a mischievous smirk, "you're gonna run away with number 5, boss?"

Gibbs raised his head slowly, turning to Tony silently, but with deadly eyes. He huffed a laugh and got back to his game.

The big windows were opened on the indoor patio, but the slow wind didn't compensate for the heat inside. The air smelled of sweat and whiskey, the smoke of Cubans cigars just lightened trailing out of the white stone balcony. The crimson moon shone high in the sky, giving the room a faint orange undertone. Loud conversation and the consistent ticking of the balls clicking together into the pool pockets were the only sounds heard for hours while the sun set, the crickets taking their places with time to watch the game. 

Tony had put low Sinatra to play on the old vinyl player that kept screeching and stopping from time to time, while Jimmy arranged the balls again and again at the pool table after the men ended another round of games. They played darts, foosball and poker, but when Gibbs won five rounds consecutively with the cards, they decided to stick to pool while they waited for the drinks.

The heat was constant and licked every inch of their skin, making it shine with drops of sweat, so they opened up their shirts and ordered lots of ice to go with the beverages arriving soon.

"It's going to rain soon," said Ducky, leaning on the windowpane to look up at the lonely moon in the sky.

"But there aren't any clouds," Nick replied inspecting the night sky, "are you sure, Ducky?"

The man walked towards a chair and sat slowly, taking out his hat to fan himself, "the heat, Nicholas. Before every great storm, the heat kisses the earth goodbye."

Nick turned to Jimmy with a meaningful gleam, but his friend was smiling at the doctor, "nicely said, Doctor Mallard," Jimmy stated.

"Yeah, yeah, let's just hope is a storm coming tonight, not tomorrow, or else Ziva might just give the whole thing up," added Tony, hand wiping his forehead while he chalked his cue stick with the other.

"She won't, Tony," said McGee, patting his brother in the back, "she won't, trust me."

They shared a moment just before Odette appeared at the doorframe, carrying a tray filled with buckets of ice and bottles of cold tequila and bourbon. 

"For the boys," she said gleefully, as they all cheered and shook Tony's shoulders as he started to fill the small cups with tequila shots.

The men raised their glasses, clinking them in unison with wide grins on their faces. _Arriba, Abajo, Al centro y Adentro,_ they yelled with the same voice, moving their shot cups together. Their twinkling eyes matched their smiles, their lips licking the brief row of salt before tasting the sour tequila, followed by the citric tang of fresh lemon on their tongues. The stars made patterns on their sweaty skins, the alcohol making the heat welcoming, not so much unpleasant anymore.

"More shots for the groom," exclaimed Nick, grabbing the tequila bottle from Tony's hands and pouring another round to the group, who cheered non-stop at the bar table.

"Next one will be you, Nick," said Tony with a smirk while he squeezed his friend's shoulder, eyes going unfocused with the sudden income of newly founded energy.

"Whoah, whoah, slow down, bro," Torres replied, placing the bottle on the table jokingly, making a loud 'thump', "maybe not so much alcohol for the groom all at once."

"Oh, you wuss," was all Tony said, wrapping his arm over Nick's shoulders.

McGee looked at Jimmy for a moment, a playful smile dancing on his lips and an eyebrow raised. Jimmy nodded with a smirk, leaving the room in a second without muttering a word. 

"Hey, where's the autopsy gremlin going?" asked Tony, looking around his shoulder towards the door Jimmy had just crossed in a hurry.

He appeared a moment later, breathing with difficulty and pointing at McGee, "all the credit to Tim, it was his idea."

McGee opened his mouth to say something, but couldn't finish when Tony turned to him with wide eyes, putting his shot cup on the counter harshly and walking backward with his hands raised in front of him defensively.

"Very special agent Timothy McGee," he said without taking his eyes from the door, "are you _out of your mind?_ "

  
°°°

The song reverberated across the patio, the notes loud and echoing in her bones as the music roared out from the instruments coming one by one from inside the house, band members all women. Ziva's heartbeat raced sky high when Abby took out her blindfold just as the band played the first note with blaring trombones, followed by the drums and bass guitar blasting with power just in front of her.

They were in front of a small stage made of stone on one side of the garden, big enough to accommodate the band and some more people, a bit higher than the ground floor. Above it was a white tent with a swaying nonstop disco ball, its light reflecting on their skin and the world around them. The tiles were traced with neon lights, from pink to orange to neon green, the lines demarking the floor and the stakes of the tent, giving a neon glow to the atmosphere. A makeshift sign with big bold letters was placed atop the stage, the glitter shining in the night with all the light.

_David today,  
DiNozzo tomorrow,  
So let's take tonight  
To dance away  
All sorrows._

"Oh, MY GOD," Ziva repeated while the women screamed and cheered loudly when the band arrived and ascended to the stage. 

Their bodies started to move with the beat involuntarily, shoulders following the rhythm as hands raised in the air when they started to jump to the song, swinging their hair as the vibrations passed through their skin. The lights from the stage started to flash with the pulse of the music, as the women danced with all they had under the moonlight. The children came running from the garden, curious about the commotion. 

"Come, Tali, come," said Ziva beaming as she raised Tali to her arms, both swinging together with the song, Ziva pointing to the disco ball to show [Tali](https://66.media.tumblr.com/889c8fce6079b9afdb9a6b440358b5fe/d20b482ff4fc966b-c6/s500x750/749e04b031286d7234aba83537f976ecad60ff41.jpg).

" _Who he think he is? _" sang the backing vocals in unison, gesturing to their ring finger with the lyrics, followed by a toss of their hair over their shoulder as the women roared from the dance floor.__

" _Got me looking, got me looking so crazy in love_ ," their voices resonated while the girls made a circle around Ziva and Tali on the dance floor, the mother gesturing to the little girl which pressed her hands on her chest twice, imitating a heart beating.

Their voices echoed across the night, the tambourines in rhythm with the flashing lights as the women sang loudly and moved their bodies with unstoppable energy. The melody continued until the trumpets became louder and louder, and the music wrapped with a roar of cheers and clapping from the bride and her friends.

"Oh, my god, that was _a-ma-zing_ ," said Breena holding Victoria's hand, her chest moving up and down and a big smile on her lips.

"Yes, it was," added Ziva, unbound curls swaying in the night wind, "this is even better than everything I've ever hoped for," she said with a wide grin.

"ANOTHER ONE," yelled Abby to the stage, hands holding Johnny's while she turned in circles with jumping steps.

"WAIT," Delilah motioned to one of the members of the band to come down to the dancefloor, who bent to listen to whatever she spoke softly in her ear.

The woman carrying a trumpet smiled and nodded, gesturing the other members to come down too, who jumped to the dance floor with energy. They walked towards Ziva, grabbing her arms and leading her up until she was standing on the platform in spite of her insistence of not going up there.

"No, no, no, not tonight," pleaded Ziva shaking her head to the group below, while a woman placed a shining microphone on her hands.

"Yes, yes, _tonight_ ," said Ellie, raising Tali in her arms when she demanded a better view of her mother on stage, "there's no better choice than tonight."

The stars shone brightly above, their light mixed with the disco ball reflections on the tree branches and bushes, Ziva's skin glowing under the stage light, dark curls swaying slowly with the warm wind. 

She tapped the microphone with her fingers a few times and her eyes followed the line of women coming from inside the house to see her perform, her whole family from Tel Aviv, big smiles on their faces as they gestured to Ziva on stage. 

She looked to her friends, chanting her name on the dance floor, then up to the fairy lights wrapped on the wooden pergola and the slow waves crashing at the sand, now visible from where she stood. She took a deep breath and smiled, closing her eyes for a moment.

Ziva David could burst out of happiness.

She whispered something at one of the backing vocal's ear, who nodded smiling and gestured to the woman sitting by the drums. She started a rhythmic beat on the instrument, loud notes mixing with the roaring cheers of the women all around. Ziva moved her head with the sound, her hair following her motions as she got to know the rhythm of the song.

Her lips touched lightly the microphone just as her clear voice resonated across the patio.

Ziva's voice reverberated in everyone's ears when it was enhanced by the loud speakers, her singing clear and strong, reaching every note with ease. The trumpets followed her lead, blasting the sense of being alive upon everyone on the dance floor, who clapped and sang energetically with her. 

Her friends welcomed her family from Israel to a big circle they were creating on the dance floor, Tali being the first to jump to the middle of it and spin with the rhythm, holding Victoria by the hand. Ellie and Jack followed her, along with Morgan, Johnny, Breena, and Delilah, clapping and laughing to the sky. Abby and Kasie went with Aunt Nettie, hips moving with the song as they crossed the floor with a series of different dance moves. 

" _Did you get a good lawyer_?" Ziva continued to sing, hands tapping the lateral of her thigh with the rhythm, her pitch right and clear across the garden. 

Abby lifted Tali to the stage, her daughter pulling the skirt of Ziva's dress, demanding her to bend down. Ziva continued to sing while Tali put a white veil on her hair, stopping only to laugh with the gesture and fix it over her curls. 

She looked stunning under the moonlight, her little daughter dancing nonstop by her side. Her dark hair swayed with the song, contrasted by the white veil and neon lights, red lips never leaving the microphone. 

" _Hope you find the right man, who'll fix it for you_ ," Ziva pointed to the ring on her finger and then quickly kissed the sign where the name 'DiNozzo' has hanging, receiving loud cheers in return.

Tali grabbed the microphone and Ziva whispered in her ear the next lyrics. She sang out of tune, but very loud, "Valerieeee," her sweet voice reverberated on the speakers, receiving clamorous praise from every one.

The blood on her veins was hot with the loud thumping of the trumpets and the dancers' feet, her hips moving with the song as the moon continued to shine relentlessly up in the dark blue sky. Laughter filled the air, mixed with the blasting lyrics from the stage and completely muffling the sound of the waves down below the sea. 

Ziva's heart was made entirely by joy, her smile wide on her lips as the song came to an end. The women cheered and whistled, asking for another one and raising their glasses to toast.

"Ziva, come here!" Abby exclaimed from the dance floor, a glass of champagne towards Ziva's direction. 

"To the most beautiful bride there is," said Breena, raising her glass high and clicking with the others, who echoed her words.

Bubbles exploded on their tongues as the sweet taste of cold champagne filled their mouths, a sudden breeze kissing the sweat of their skin away, the moonlight reflected on the drops of water of their cold glasses. The band initiated slow jazz while Ziva took her time to catch her breath. She had a feeling she'd sing again soon.

"Do you think Tony is having a good time?" asked Ziva to Abby, a pensive look on her face.

"He's a DiNozzo after all," she answered, giving the other a tight hug on her shoulders, "don't worry, Ziva. You'll see him all day tomorrow."

"And the day after that," added Delilah, squeezing Ziva's hand softly.

"And the day after that," estated Breena, putting her glass on the table and quickly grabbing another one, "and have lots of fun, I guarantee you," she said with a meaningful wink.

The women laughed, cheering loudly while Ziva blushed a little.

"Who's ready for another one?" asked Ellie a bit breathless, holding Morgan and Johnny on each of her sides.

"I sure am," said Jack with a smile.

Ziva nodded with a playful smirk on her lips, that turned into a wicked grin in an instant. The women started casting each other puzzled looks, but no one knew what the bride was planning to do. She gave them no warming as she grabbed Ellie and Jack by the hand and carried them to the dancefloor.

She ascended to the stage quickly, talking to a member of the band while the women waited confusedly on the ground floor.

Ziva bent down to Ellie and Jack with a wild smile on her lips.

She held two microphones in their direction.

"No, no, no, no way, I don't sing," said Ellie exasperated, walking backward just to be held on her place by Jack's hand on her back.

"Common, it'll be a fun moment for us to share," said Sloane without hesitation, grabbing the microphone with a smile towards Ellie, "we're among friends."

"But I-I don't know how to sing, I think it's better if one of the others take this one," Ellie replied as the other girls understood what was going on and started to push her towards the stage.

"Eleanor," said Ziva with a wicked grin and shaking the microphone between them, "don't be a wuss."

Bishop stopped fighting and looked at Ziva with a puzzled look. She recognized that word from somewhere... Somewhere recently, but where...

She didn't have the chance to think when Jack and Ziva grabbed each one of her arms and lifted her to the stage, receiving loud praise from her friends on the dance floor. Ziva placed the microphone on Ellie's hand and left to talk to a member of the band softly.

"What are we going to sing?" asked Ellie with big eyes, darting from the band to the people below looking directly at them.

"Don't worry, is a song everyone knows," said Ziva with a smile, "just have fun." 

Sloane traded places with Ziva for her to stand in the middle, each of her friends at her side. She tapped Ellie on her arm and motioned her to imitate her. Ellie stretched her neck slightly to see what gesture Jack was doing, then came back to her place and took a deep breath. 

She bent her back looking up and placed her microphone in an angle above her head, turned sideways as Jack did the same on Ziva's other side. The bride looked to the sky and blew a kiss to the stars, bending her back and raising her microphone as well slowly, until they looked like a group who had performed together for years.

Just as the first notes of the song blasted from the speakers, the women down at the patio recognized it, and loud cheers filled the gardens under the night sky.

°°°

"What the f-"

Tony's voice abandoned him as the women descended the stairs with their hips beating in rhythm with the tambourines, going straight to him.

He counted six of them, wearing belly dance skirts with long splits and bead bra tops, the jewelry of their hip scarves sparkling while their hips shook with the beat. They wore their long hair unbound, a piece of cloth masking their faces which let only their eyes visible. Their strong perfume incensed the room in a second, as they danced with arms raised above their heads in a spin around Tony. They were all different, some blond and some brunette, wearing different colored shimmering costumes, but they all moved with the same energy as a few men followed them playing tambourines and flamenco guitars.

"Come, big boy, sit with us," moaned one of them, touching his chest and batting her eyelashes, her index finger calling him to seat in a chair the others had arranged in the middle of the room.

"Hum..." they didn't let Tony answer as they grabbed his arms and led him to the chair, hands caressing his torso to down his thighs and playing with his hair.

"Do you want anything in particular you want us to do?" asked a blond young woman, wrapping an arm around his neck to sit in his lap.

"Whoah, what are you-"

"We'll try our best to bring you lots of... pleasure," she whispered in his ear, while the others danced around him and one opened the remaining buttons of his shirt.

The live music was so loud his ears were stinging, the heat of the room increasing rapidly with the sudden new amount of people in the indoor patio. Their perfume was strong and made his nose tingle, their hands traveling everywhere across his hot skin, the woman is his lap standing up just to bend down in front of his hips.

"Remind me to marry again, Junior," his father exclaimed loudly, but his voice was muffled by the beat of the song.

One of the women took out her hip scarf and looking Tony in the eye, tied his arms behind his back, making strong knots to the chair he was sitting.

"I have bad memories about this," he told her with wide eyes.

"Let's make this a good one," she moaned, hands traveling over his sweaty chest, his muscles visible for everyone to see as they heaved up and down in labored breaths.

"I don't think that's a very good idea-"

"Relax, we know what we're doing, daddy," the blond girl sat on his lap again, playing with his hair and moaning in his ear. She was practically dry-humping him with her consistent moves.

"Exactly, daddy, I am a _daddy_ ," said Tony with furrowed brows and trying without success to untie himself from the chair, "a daddy of a six years old girl."

"Men with more experience turn me on faster," she replied with a deep voice, a finger tracing the shell of his ear.

"How old are you again?"

The band continued to play just next to him, the loud notes thumping on his veins, his head getting dizzy with the booze and constant touching. The heat was becoming unbearable, the clouds of cigar smoke mixing with the dancers' perfume, the shimmering of their skirts and jewelry making his vision blurry. Their voices fused into one, asking him to take out his clothes, play with their bodies and let himself go. Drops of sweat fell in his eyes and he wanted to wipe them, but Tony's hands were tied strongly behind his back. 

One of the dancers licked his neck in a swift move.

"MCGEE," he yelled with all the strengh he had left, trying to push the woman away, "MCGEE, GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE."

"What, what's wrong?" the concerned face of McGee appeared above the dancers, his blue eyes wide in worry. 

"LADIES, BACK OFF FOR A MOMENT," Tony yelled again, pushing them away with his shoulders, chest heaving with the effort, "MCGEE, HELP ME OUT OF HERE, WILL YOU?"

The music stopped. 

The dancers looked with concerned faces to each other, anger starting to bloom on their features. Their charismatic facade fell, and they started to bicker to McGee gesturing at Tony with wild eyes. One of them left the room with thumping feet. 

"Look, I'm sorry, ladies, it wasn't your fault. It was the timing," Tony said to them as he massaged his wrists after McGee untied the knots behind him with considerable struggle, "you should've appeared years ago. Here," he handed some cash to the blond dancer, "have some drinks, okay? Don't worry."

She looked at him with big green eyes, beautiful eyes even, and nodded, taking out her mask and heading towards the bar at a relaxed pace. She didn't utter a word. 

"Wow, that was easy," he added, closing the buttons of his white shirt.

A loud snap echoed throughout the room as one of the dancers slapped him in the face, cursing in another language. She grabbed the arm of her friend and demanded everyone to leave the room in a foreign tongue. Tony just knew that because when he lifted his eyes back up with a hand pressing his red cheek, they were gone as if they weren't even there.

"I guess I deserved that."

"But I thought you would like it," said McGee nervously, quickly putting the chair where it belonged, "you're Anthony DiNozzo, THE DiNozzo... the one that always bragged about your dates, the womanizer, the man who thought of sexual innuendos everywhere we went and constantly flirted with every woman that appeared to be breathing. You've dreamed about this for _years_."

"People change, Probie," Tony replied, squeezing McGee's shoulders with a steadier look on his eyes, "I changed. I'm a father now," his eyes appeared older to his friend, wiser even, "I'm gonna get married tomorrow."

He let McGee go and surveyed the room, where he found his friends completely shocked, their mouths opened wide. 

Gibbs was laughing.

"What?"

"It really has happened, hasn't it?" asked Jimmy, walking slowly towards Tony with his hand raised to touch him, as if he was some kind of alien, "I thought it was impossible."

"Oh, shut up, gremlin. Stop looking at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you've just seen McGee's-"

"HEY! Let's calm down, uh?" said McGee, one hand on his hip and another wiping his forehead, "I'm sorry if it wasn't fun for you, Tony. Clearly, I was wrong."

"No worries, McGhoul, you couldn't have known," Tony laid a hand on Tim's shoulder and pat it a few times, the two brothers sharing a meaningful look.

"You really love her, don't you?"

Tony gave him a smirk, eyes landing on his father across the room, which lifted his hat in rare praise, eyes twinkling and silent.

Tony smiled.

"McGee, what do you think she's doing right now?" asked him looking to the big windows and the moon shining far away, eyes distant and unfocused. The stars shone brightly above the slow crashing waves. 

"Probably having some fun of her own too," answered McGee, casting a confused look to Jimmy, who just shrugged in return.

Tony stopped. He grabbed his friend's shoulders again, but now with force, shaking them with wide eyes, "does it envolves a stripper, Timothy? WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT IT?"

"WHAT? I HAVE NO IDEA, I SWEAR."

"DO YOU THINK SHE'S GETTING A LAP DANCE RIGHT NOW?"

"Guys, GUYS, hold on, wait," said Nick, pushing them away from each other, head turned to the window, "do you hear that?"

The men faced the window, Jimmy grabbing Tony and Nick holding McGee, their faces puzzled as they tried to hear whatever Nick was talking about.

The beige curtains swayed in the night wind, the orange tone painting the white balcony shadows. They could hear the sound of the waves, consistently hitting the sand. They could hear the sound of a cricket, which has just landed on the floor tiles and rubbed its legs together. They could hear the birds, and the tree branches and the sound of ice clicking inside glass. They could hear...

They could hear music. 

Distant trumpets following the voice of a woman singing, people cheering when she ended a song. 

Screams of joy, of utter happiness, of fun in its most raw way.

"She's singing," said Tony, hands squeezing the windowpane as he looked to the stars disbelieving, "she hasn't sung since she came back. Since it all happened... Since... Since Berlin, I think. It's been so long." 

Warm tears traced his cheeks involuntarily as he imagined the sight, Ziva singing on a stage, surrounded by all her friends, smiling widely and dancing with the music. She was beautiful. Stunning, just simply stunning...

He turned to Nick briskly, walking towards him at a steady pace.

"No, no, no, no, that's a bad idea," said McGee, knowing the look in his friend's eyes, "she's supposed to have the last night without you, that's the whole point of it."

"I don't care. I don't care at all," said Tony with a wild grin, pulling Torres towards the door, "we've been too long apart."

"HEY, TONY, WAIT," yelled Jimmy, who grabbed the bottles remaining and went to tell Senior and Gibbs about what was going on.

Tony stopped with a bewildered Torres next to him, just inside the door which led to the backyard gardens. 

They hid in the shadows, Tony pulling Nick close with a rapid move behind the doorframe.

"Nick," he said softly, eyes meeting Nick's steadily, a wild twinkle on them, "I told you I was going to help you," Tony breathed heavily, "but I think you'll need to help me first." 

The groom and his friend shared a look, followed by Nick nodding under the moonlight. Shadows mixed with the faint glow of neon lights ahead, his skin smooth with the light breeze drying the sweat away.

The night was young.

"What do you need me to do, bro?"

°°°

Eleanor Bishop recognized the melody with its first notes, a smile opening in her lips when she was certain every woman on the dance floor knew the lyrics of this song. Even then, she grabbed the microphone hard, her knuckles turning white as she tried to inhale and exhale a few times before actually singing anything.

Ziva led the way, her strong voice echoing while she opened a feral grin, shoulders and hips following with ease the rhythm she created with her heels. She sang to the crowd and the crowd sang it back loudly, Ziva putting the microphone from time to time directed to the dance floor. 

" _What you're gonna do with your life?_ " her friends yelled from the patio, hands raised above their heads.

Ziva looked to the stars and stopped for a moment, pointing at the sky and blowing a kiss to the moon, " _Oh, daddy dear, you know you're still number one_ ," she motioned 'one' with her index finger, and opened a smile with closed eyes.

" _BUT GIRLS, THEY WANNA HAVE FUN_ ," screamed the crowd over the crashing waves down below at the bay.

" _Oh, girls just want to have_ ," replied Ziva, a big smile permanent on her red lips.

She motioned to Jack and Ellie, who took her place to sing the chorus, Sloane holding the trembling hand of Bishop in hers. 

" _That's all they really want_ ," sang Jack, feet going side to side along with her hips with the beat of the song. She looked at Ellie, giving her an assuring nod and pulling Bishop in front of her, towards the edge of the stage.

" _Some fun_ ," Ellie's sweet voice resonated through the trees and flower bushes, a smile on her lips as she started to dance in rhythm with Jack and Ziva, receiving loud cheers from her friends on the dance floor.

Abby was dancing in circles with Johnny, Morgan and Tali, feet jumping with the beat of a song and the children following her. Delilah was gesturing the lyrics of the song with Kasie, who was teaching Aunt Nettie and her friends to do the same while she laughed out loud under the stars. Breena had raised Victoria to her arms, pointing to the girls on the stage and the disco ball, body swaying in sync with the music.

" _When the working day is done_ ," sang Jack and Ellie in unison, holding hands and smiling widely, skin glowing under the neon lights and the reflections of the shimmering disco ball, " _Oh, girls they wanna have_ -"

" _FUN_ ," yelled people all around.

" _Oh, girls just wanna have_ -"

" _FUUUN_!"

The air was hot but pleasant, the kind of heat you forget if you're dancing nonstop to the most upbeat song there is, feet leaving the ground constantly, the neon lights tracing the floor tiles appearing from time to time. A light breeze swang the tree branches, but the crickets still delivered their melody, waiting for a distant rain which had forgotten to fall with the abscense of clouds. The instruments were loud on the speakers, and no one cared for anything when the voices of three women on stage mixed beautifully, their tones going well with one another. Their veins pulsated with the beat, and their feet jumped involuntarily while the chorus sounded, hands raised openly in the air as they sang the lyrics loudly for the sky to hear. The stars shone bright and the moon smiled, the women's hips shaking in rhythm along with the sea waves, which appeared to have liked the song too. 

" _Some boys take a beautiful girl_ ," Ziva motioned to her ring finger and received a roar from the crowd, then covered her face with the white veil, " _And hide her away from the rest of the world_ ," she pretended to go hiding, behind Jack and Ellie, who accompanied her singing.

" _I wanna be the one to walk in the sun_ ," she jumped and laughed to the sky, arms raised up high as the stars twinkled in her eyes while she opened up a wide grin. 

" _Oh, girls they wanna have fun_ ," the people yelled from the dance floor with fervor.

" _Oh, girls just wanna have_ ," she replied smiling.

Nick couldn't believe his eyes. 

He looked dumbfounded at Ellie on stage, mouth opened slack as his eyes traced her hips dancing with the beat and her blond hair swaying with the moves. She looked so carefree, leaning her back on Jack as she sang to the chorus, smile opened wide and skin shining with a neon glow.

The world seemed to slow down.

She looked drop-dead gorgeous.

Nick could hear the waves crashing at the sand, the crickets sounding and her clear voice recognizable among the mixing of screams from the dance floor. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears going sky high. He could hear a voice inside his head saying " _Oh, fuck_ ".

He wasn't sure if he said that out loud or not.

" _They just wanna, they just wanna_ ," the three women sang together, snapping their fingers in sync with the lyrics, " _they just wanna, they just wanna_ ," they spun around the stage in one formation.

" _GIRLS JUST WANNA FUN_ ," yelled the people on the dance floor, jumping carefree and arms raised to the sky. 

The air smelled of pure joy.

" _When the working day is done, girls just wanna have fun_ ," Ziva's voice reverberated one last time, one arm joined with Jack's and another with Ellie's, wide smiles wrinkling their sparkling eyes in pure euphoria.

They held hands, bending forward in reverence, which was received by loud claps and clamors.

"Girls wanna have fun, indeed," said Nick clapping, eyes looking directly at Ellie, an amused smile on his lips. 

"NICK," Bishop called him from the stage, her declaration echoing with power with the microphone she still held in her hands, cheeks reddening until she could feel her face hot. 

The women around him started pointing and talking among themselves, now noticing his presence with Bishop screaming like that on the speakers. Ellie descended from the stage, clear annoyance in her eyes as she marched directly to him, fists closed.

Nick stood relaxed in the middle of the garden, hands in his pockets and a vicious grin on his lips. He couldn't help but notice the blush on Ellie's cheeks as she got closer, her pink dress moving with the angered walk. 

"You look nice," he said, eyes going from her blond hair to her hoop earrings to her heels, roaming her body without shame. He couldn't help but notice she did the same, but faster, eyes livid. He smiled.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked, changing her stance nervously, "this is a women-only party." 

He stepped closer with a smirk and her eyes darted to his opened shirt, lifting up back fast. Nick studied her face under the moonlight, her light unbound hair framing her red cheeks which had just received high stamina from the singing. Her hazel eyes were the color of honey with the neon lights. 

He wanted to kiss her so badly.

"I didn't know you could sing like that, Tater Tots," he said, hungry eyes never leaving hers.

Ellie took a deep breath, her chest heaving as she couldn't look away, "now you do."

Ziva talked to the woman playing the guitar, microphone still in hand as she asked for one last song to sing. Her friends chanted the rhythm of 'Here Comes the Bride' in the meantime, giggles filling the air.

She positioned herself in the middle of the stage, fingers tapping as she spoke softly at the microphone, "1... 2... 3..."

The trumpets played a growing harmony, loud notes exploding as the backing vocals followed her voice with the song. Tali was spinning nonstop on the dance floor, one hand holding her tiara in place and other swinging her skirt. 

" _All I'm asking_ ," she put a hand on her hair, walking across the stage as she shook her hips with the beat, " _is for a little respect when you come home_."

" _Just a little bit_ ," sounded the vocals, Ziva asking for energy while clapping with the microphone, her unbound hair floating around her with the night breeze. 

It was as if for a moment, she was born to have fun, not to be a trained assassin.

" _Yeah, baby_ ," she sang with strength, hips continuing to dance non-stop while she closed her eyes and raised a hand to her hair, " _when you get home_."

Ziva turned around with closed eyes and a smile on her red lips. Her fingers traced the edges of the white veil on her head as the trumpets carried her voice with high notes. Her heart was beating fast, the back of her neck prickling with stamina. 

She opened her eyes and looked straight at him.

A smirk grew on her lips as she knew she was right. Tony had climbed the stage from behind and stood admiring her, attentive eyes following her every move. He smiled when he noticed she had sensed his approach. The women started to cheer and clap loudly, hooting when Ziva grabbed his shirt and pulled him to the front of the stage.

"Your ninja senses came back?" he asked, eyes darting from her veil to her white dress.

"They were only on vacation for a while," she replied, pulling him by the shirt closer to her, brown eyes going to Tony's smooth lips, "ran away from your bachelor party?"

"I promise you it won't happen on the altar," he answered with a playful smirk, sparkling eyes never leaving her features.

Ziva smiled and pulled him until their lips could touch if they wanted to, "you better not," she said, releasing him with a wild grin. 

"You really gonna do this with me?" Tony's tongue traced his lips when the kiss he was waiting didn't happen. 

"This is my party after all," she winked at him, making Tony start to breathe with difficulty, "Breena," she called to her friend who danced energetically with Delilah, "a chair." 

Breena cast a feral grin, leaving to fulfill her wish without muttering a word. In a second, a chair was being lifted to the stage. 

Ziva laughed out loud, grabbing the arm of the chair and placing it on the center of the stage. The disco ball swayed slowly, the trumpets still playing a background melody without her singing. She turned to Tony, who carried a boyish grin as if he knew what she was planning to do.

"You'll find this great when I tell you the whole story later," he said, putting his hands in his pockets and stepping closer to her. 

Ziva pushed his chest with a finger, her eyes gleaming under the neon lights, "sit," was all she said.

Receiving a roar of cheers and screams from the crowd, Tony obeyed, sitting relaxed and crossing his hands on his lap, a devilish smile on his lips, "as you wish," quoting one of his favorite movies.

" _Oh, your kisses_ ," Ziva started to sing again, walking in a slow pace to in front of him, circling around the chair, " _sweeter than honey_ ," a light moan traced her voice.

"CHILDREN," Abby called, grabbing Morgan and Johnny's hands from where they were jumping on the dance floor, "TALI, WHERE'S TALI?" she asked Victoria, who pointed to where Breena was giggling loudly with Delilah next to the stage. 

Tali stood looking up to where her father had just appeared, confusion marking her features as she pointed to the chair up at the stage, "why is daddy here? He came to sing too?" she asked Breena.

"Oh, he'll sing in no time, alright," replied Breena, still giggling with a hand pressed to her chest as her eyes followed Ziva's moves around Tony. Delilah punched her belly and she stopped giggling. 

"TALI," called Abby stretching a hand towards her, Victoria already on her other hand and Morgan pulling her black skirt down demanding attention, while Johnny talked and talked in her arms, "TALI, COME. MERMAID. MERMAID JUST APPEARED ON THE COAST."

"Mermaids don't exist," replied Johnny serious with furrowed brows.

"OF COURSE THEY DO," said Abby exasperated, eyes darting from the stage to around the garden.

"Need any help with that, Abbs?" asked a familiar voice who had just appeared by her side.

"Gibbs! Oh, my god, please," she handed Johnny to him and Morgan to Jack, who laughed loudly when she saw the scene, "one song. Just this one," Abby motioned with her head towards the stage.

"WHOAH, okay," said Jack, facing the stage and then turning to Gibbs, who was smiling broadly, "kids, let's take a walk, uh? It'll be fun. We'll come back soon," she grabbed Morgan and Tali by the hand, gesturing to the others to follow her, "the night is beautiful tonight."

"Yeah, she is," said Gibbs, attentive eyes looking at Jack walking with the kids inside the garden. 

He followed her, after huffing a laugh and head-slapping himself.

He wouldn't ever learn, would he?

" _All I want you to do for me_ ," Ziva touched Tony's chin with a finger, circling him still, like a hawk with its prey, " _is give it to me when you get home_ ," she sang, voice deeper and rough.

Ziva looked at his eyes, who followed all her moves and traced his top lip with a finger, bending forward. Tony could feel his heartbeat thumping in his ears, the blood on his veins boiling with the sight of Ziva with a veil placed in her hair against the moonlight. He felt drunk. He felt like he had drunk all the bottle of that tequila, the corner of his vision blurring as only she went into focus, Tony not daring to blink for a second. As she let go of the touching, he couldn't help but bend forward a bit, trying to prolong the contact, eyes closing with the feeling.

He swallowed, opening his dark eyes with labored breathing, in front of him just the stars. Stars shining so bright it made you want to look across the sky, trying to see as many as you could. The moon was high, its light reflecting at the sea on the horizon and the glasses of the people on the dance floor. The boys had arrived and they all cheered together, now dancing mixed up, screams and song muffled by the heartbeat on his ears.

He could only hear her voice. A siren voice, distinguishable for years of paying attention to what she had to say, to the moments her laugh was the only thing he cared when he told a joke, and to the rare occasions she let herself sing softly without realizing she was doing it. Now she was singing with all she had, voice caressing his skin as she touched the right places while he tried to sit still.

" _Yeah baby, whip it to me_ ," Ziva placed her hands on his knees, body going down between his legs with her nonstop hips, slowly going up again when Tony groaned softly and his hands scaped to squeeze her thighs, " _when you get home, now_ ", she took his hands out of her body and motioned 'no' with a finger, walking to stay behind him once again.

"Are you trying to do what I think you're trying to do?" he asked breathing with difficulty, huffing a groan as Ziva's hands caressed his opened chest from behind, making him lean towards her.

" _R-E-S-P-E-C-T_ ," she sang, hands going up and down his chest, " _Find out what it means to me_."

His heart was going to explode. The disco lights flashed and he had to close his eyes when he felt her breathe stroking the shell of his ear. The music beat was loud, and his fingers tingled in anticipation. The only thing he wanted to do was grab her by the waist and get them out of there, right away. He wanted to kiss her senseless, he wanted to-

" _D-i-n-o-z-z-o_ ," Ziva whispered in his ear, syllables slow in her tongue, the loud trumpets carrying the song as only him would hear her voice. 

Tony opened his eyes suddenly, standing up in a second. He turned to her, green eyes dark with a feral glint, his mouth opened slack slightly. 

Without any warning, he grabbed her by the waist and made her spin until she was under him, back curving towards the ground and hair swaying beneath her. Ziva gasped in surprise just before Tony captured her lips, his need clear behind the force of the kiss. Ziva's hand lifted to his hair and pulled at the base of his head, making him moan softly into her lips. A hand stroke her right thigh and lifted her leg by the back of her knee, while Ziva could feel his tongue battling to touch hers.

Just as he did that, however, the music stopped and she could hear the screams coming from the dance floor. Tony backed away, placing a soft peck on her lips before spinning her back to a standing position. 

Ziva touched her lips and sighed heavily, eyes turning to his involuntary. He smiled.

She blushed deeply noticing the crowd in front of them, one she didn't pay attention to until now. 

Ziva turned to the band with a soft smile, thanking them and quickly grabbing Tony's hand to come down from the stage, another hand fixing the veil on her wild hair.

"Ima, Ima," Tali came running towards them, a pinecone raised to Ziva have a look, "mama Jack found it for me," she said with an opened smile, cute small dimples appearing in her cheeks.

"Is it mama Jack now?" asked Ziva, amused eyes landing on Jack who was laughing at something Gibbs had just said.

"Are you even surprised?" said Tony, a smile dancing at his lips as he raised Tali to his arms, who giggled loudly with the sudden movement.

"I'm pleased," said Ziva, while Tony kissed her cheek and Tali traced her white veil with her little fingers.

"Who isn't? Even your Aunt Nettie is here," he motioned to an old lady having fun at the dance floor, arms making circular moves as she tapped her feet without the band even playing.

"There was a lot of wine involved," Ziva laughed looking at him.

Their eyes met and the air between them sparkled in electricity. Ziva opened a soft smile, looking down and fixing the layers of her skirt. Tony raised her chin up with a finger, green eyes twinkling with meaning. He opened a smile that turned into a grin, beaming with happiness and filled with love.

"You look beautiful," he said, eyes roaming from the veil to her white dress, coming back to her eyes gleaming under the stars. 

"You don't look that bad yourself," she replied.

°°°

The band started to play salsa, a man with a resonating voice singing in Spanish with a clear tune. The tambourines and bongos placed the beat, the flamenco guitar following the rhythm along with the blaring trumpets. The people cheered with the energy of the song and couples started to form to dance together. Jimmy spun Breena around, laughing as they almost fell to the ground. Morgan was sitting on Delilah's lap, who was turning in circles with McGee pushing her wheelchair, Johnny helping him. Jack and Gibbs were nowhere to be seen.

"Somehow in this beautiful night, you're sending me some bad vibes here," said Kasie to Nick who was staring with crossed arms at Ellie, on the other side of the garden.

She held a colorful drink in her hand, a bright orange umbrella hanging from the cup, her lips in a smile while she talked to a man. She giggled, a hand covering her mouth as she leaned towards him to hear something he whispered in her ear.

"I'm going to punch him," Nick replied, huffing a breath through his nose, baffled eyes not leaving Bishop.

"Whoah, whoah, there," Kasie handed him a shot of a dark liquid, which he drank all at once without hesitating, "who is he?"

"A guy who just popped out of nowhere, he's name is Richard. Knows Tony. Is talking to her," his face was turning red with anger, his vision of the neon lights blurring with the feeling and the boost of pure alcohol on his tongue, "she has a thing for Rickys, uh? The last one was THE SON OF MY GIRLFRIEND."

"She was a bit old, to be fair," said Kasie, her afro hair glowing under a floral piece of cloth, "he has a cute face," he motioned to the man still making Ellie laugh.

"And his cute little face is gonna get punched," Nick folded his shirt sleeves and cracked his fingers and neck, eyes studying his opponent.

"Nick, NICK," Kasie grabbed his shoulders and forced him to look at her, "I know that you two... but the wedding. Party. No. Violence. No," she gestured around them with each word, eyes widening when he didn't stop puffing like an angry bull.

The man Ellie was laughing with took the drink off her hands and placed it on the bar counter. He held her hand and led her to the dance floor, the loud salsa still blasting through the speakers.

Nick breathed in and out, held in place by Kasie's hands, "we agreed to be each other's plus one," he muttered with closed eyes.

"Yeah, but at the wedding, right? Tonight is still just a party," she replied with a soft voice.

The tambourines echoed across the patio, the singer clapping his hands in time with the lyrics, and people laughed all around. Some couples danced close to each other while others danced making freestyle moves, children running between skirts with plates of food and giggling. Someone had put fire on a pile of wood, the bright orange flames floating upwards and dancing as well towards the moon. The night stretched and the air was warm, hugging their bodies and rising their endorphins. The neon lights now had an orange undertone and the place was filled with people, men and women chatting, dancing and having fun. 

Kasie waited for Nick's actions while she chewed a pineapple slice, humming to the beat of the song. Ellie was learning to dance with the slow steps of her friend, his height visible among the crowd. They were laughing off their mistakes.

Nick stood very still, turning his body to Kasie slowly.

"Kasie," he said, eyes narrowing towards her, "have you ever danced salsa?"

She shook her head vigorously, "No, uh-uh, no, no, no, don't even ask."

"Please," he said, raising his open hand towards her with pleading eyes, "you know I need to do this."

"No, no, I won't be a part of this, Nick," she replied, swallowing the pineapple slice all at once, "your vibes, your problem."

"Please, help a friend out," he grabbed her hand anyway, eyes darting to Ellie at the dance floor, "I'll clean the whole lab for you."

"George the janitor does that every week," she pulled back out of the dance floor, eyes searching for any help around them, "this is crazy. Nick. Nick, no."

"Yes, yes," he said, "Nick, _yes_ , common," he pulled her hard to the dance floor, "do nothing, just let me lead."

"This is the worst idea you've ever had-"

"They need real Latin blood on this patio."

Nick grasped Kasie's hand tightly, his head nodding at her to let him lead. His other hand touched the low of her back, just after directing her hand to put on his shoulder. He placed his hips to one side, shoulders already shaking in rhythm as he guided her to a step backward and then to the front again. Back and then forwards. Again. Again. Nick spun them around the floor, people opening the space he needed to use. Kasie danced with a concerned look in her eyes, glancing at Ellie and then to her feet repeatedly.

"Hey, look at me, let loose," said Nick steadily, his feet still forcing her to mimic him, back and forth, sliding across the patio in sync with the consistent beat of the song. 

He clasped her hand, spinning her around fast and motioning to get back closer to him, his feet making a show of their own while Kasie spun around him. Nick led them to the middle of the dance floor, eyes searching for Ellie while the tambourines continued to play. Kasie was now smiling.

"Humm, I'm liking it, yeah," she said, looking to her feet following the beat, "not so many bad vibes after all," she got distracted dancing on her own and Nick had to pull her back closer to him.

"Is she looking at us?" he asked concerned, while Kasie circled him, Nick's hips dancing with fervor with the song, "she's still dancing?"

"I don't see her," Kasie stretched her neck, searching for Ellie on the dance floor while Nick stood on his place, "a lot of old ladies are ogling you, though."

Nick glanced at the women giggling in a group, one of them gesturing to him with her index finger to get closer. She was probably sixty.

The mambo got faster, the same as their pace. Nick turned Kasie's body to one side and then the other with ease, hands quick to spin her and then catch her every time, his hips and shoulders in sync. His feet tapped the neon floor tiles with energy, following the sound of the trumpets and the singer's claps. People all around them started to point and whisper, Kasie laughing out loud to the sky with all the fun she was having. 

"What _the hell_ is he doing?" asked Tony when he glanced at the dance floor, grasping Ziva's arm to stop her in her tracks, "is that Nick? And Kasie?"

"Wow, he can _dance_ ," replied Ziva, approaching the stage to see them better, "where's Bishop?"

"Oh, god," said Tony, eyes landing on Ellie, who smiled while she danced out of rhythm with one of his long-distant friends, "were we ever like that?"

"Like what?"

Ellie stopped smiling once she saw Nick, spinning Kasie at a fast pace all around the dance floor. His feet were thumping the tiles in rhythm, hips rocking spot-on with the bongo's energetic pulse. 

It was as if they picked this song just for him.

"Should I even ask what are you doing?" asked Ziva, facing Tony with her hands on her hips.

He was waving with vigor to the other side of the dance floor, eyes wide and body elongated as if trying to catch someone's attention. He pointed aggressively to the couples on stage, his hand forming the shape of a shell to say something to someone far away. Tony then gestured to himself like crazy, then back to the dance floor, then strongly to the other side of the patio, to back to the couples dancing together.

"You good?" asked Ziva with dead eyes, not even trying to look to whoever was the person he was speaking to, "are you having a seizure?"

Tony turned to her with a wide grin and wild eyes.

"Oh no, Tony, don't," was all she said.

He grabbed his shoulders and kissed her forehead quickly, "be right back, hon," he said and disappeared.

°°°

The flames ascended high in the sky, the heat increasing quickly with the mambo and the various couples' passion. They danced like fire, blood pulsating on their veins as sharp blazes ignited by the trumpets and tambourines. The singer's voice kissed their ears, his Spanish clear and foreign, and for a moment, touching each other was involuntary and permitted. Everyone was on the dance floor, even the older couples, dancing to the sensual rhythm as they desired to. Some held children, swaying and giggling. Some held lovers, the bright fire casting shadows which caressed them where their hands couldn't. Some were alone, dancing with their eyes closed, hips moving in sync with the beat while the night welcomed their hearts with opened arms. 

Ellie danced at a slow pace with Richard, his hand laid on her lower back and looking intentively at her eyes. She wasn't looking at him, though. She seemed distant, her vision unfocused while her feet danced automatically for her. She was looking beyond him, to the stars, a glint of sadness with the absence of a smile.

Nick was laughing out loud with Kasie, spinning her around him with his arm, who yelled in joy while the flames made her dark hair blue under the moonlight. His hips swayed with the beat, as if he was made for dancing that song, feet fast and steady while they moved across the floor.

The moon, however, wasn't smiling.

"Ellie, HIIIII," said Abby appearing out of the nowhere, her blue eyes wide with meaning, "dancing. I like-I like dancing," she sputtered, eyes darting from Ellie to her partner, a confused look on both of their faces.

"Hey, Abby," said Bishop, stopping the dance for her partner's annoyance, "this is Richard, Tony's friend."

"RICHAAARD," she said, taking his hand and shaking it with both her hands, "tall, you're tall. Taller than I am."

"Nice to meet you," he replied with furrowed brows, his annoyance clear of her intermission, "Eleanor, may we get back-"

"DANCING," said Abby with wide eyes, "DANCE WITH ME," he took his hand and pulled him to the dance floor, his face confused and near angry. The gentleman that was in him couldn't say no, though.

Ellie stood alone under the moonlight, her eyes avoiding to look at one particular person on the dance floor and fixing on her hands instead. She tied her unbound hair in a ponytail and went to the bar to get a drink. For the first time that night, she felt like she really needed it.

Kasie was spinning around freely, a big smile on her face as she sang without knowing the lyrics, arms constantly pulled or pushed by Nick's talented ones. He appeared to have relaxed, guiding her with ease but not so much with the crazy look he once had in his eyes. Ellie wasn't on the dance floor anymore.

In the middle of a spin, hard hands grabbed her shoulders, making her stop. 

"Bring her here," whispered Tony in her ear, letting her go as quickly as he arrived. 

"On it," said Kasie, without having to ask about who he was referring to, feet a bit jumbled when she stepped out of the dance floor.

Tony grabbed Torres' hand and took Kasie's place, but Nick only noticed it when he spun around and got closer. 

"What are you doing here, bro-"

"I'm saving you," said Tony with hard eyes, but his feet still moved in rhythm with the song as Nick hadn't stopped dancing.

Some people started laughing when the groom did a spin under Nick's arm, his eyes searching for someone at the surroundings, but his hands coming back to Nick's.

"Saving me of what," asked Nick, confusion clearly displayed in his eyes as he went with the flow of Tony's plan, not knowing what it was about.

"Of years of mistakes," replied Tony, looking straight to him with a dangerous glare, eyes full of meaning, "I've been there. Don't do it. Tell her."

"What-"

Tony let go of Nick and pulled Ellie who had just appeared near him, eyes wide and surprised, putting her hand in Nick's, "now," he whispered on Nick's ear as he walked away, patting his back once. 

The music stopped just as Nick involuntarily put his hand on Ellie's waist.

"WHAT, COMMON," yelled the groom to the band in disbelief, marching towards the stage in determination right after, "CARLOS," he screamed to the singer, his hand making a shell around his mouth to echo the sound, "A SLOWER ONE. NOW."

The man nodded with vigor, motioning to the band to get their instruments, "yes, Mr. DiNozzo, right away," another song started.

"Sorry for yelling," said Tony, recomposing himself and looking to the new couple still together at a corner of the dance floor, "urgent matters," he gestured an okay sign to the band, "thanks a lot. Carry on."

"No problem, sir," said one of the players.

"Eleanor Bishop," her name rolled out of his tongue making the back of her neck prickle, "do you know how to dance as well as you can sing?"

Nick placed her hand on his shoulder, guiding her to the middle of the stage, where they had more room, brown eyes meeting hazel ones under the neon lights. She blushed a little with his words, and in every place he was touching her, she could feel it. Her heart started beating faster, a sort of daze laying upon her as he squeezed her waist tighter. The flames danced high, the slower song pulsating all around as the new rhythm made the dancers slow down but the passion increase.

"I know _you_ can dance, agent Torres," her eyes twinkled as a smirk opened in her lips, "the star of the dance floor."

Nick huffed a laugh, his teeth showing as he smiled, "don't even," he started a slow rhythm, steps going back and forth with care, "only the older women were paying attention."

Ellie looked at him, with dark eyes reflecting the flames and neon lights, sweat coating the skin of his chest with his opened shirt. 

Nick licked his lips.

"I think you look rather dashing," she said, her eyes tracing his tongue, "if it weren't for the heat."

"You don't like my hotness?" he asked, eyebrow raising as Ellie let out a laugh, "how about now?" 

Nick got closer to her until their bodies were pressed together, their lips inches apart. His hand traveled to her lower back, and she could feel his hot breath as he pushed their hips to move together with the song.

Ellie couldn't mutter a word. Her heart beat in her throat making her feel like she was going to explode at any second, the music roaring in her ears and her veins hot as she tried to breathe when Nick placed a soft kiss on the corner of her mouth. 

He spun her and pulled her back to his arms, hips quickly adjusting with hers in sync with the tambourines. They crossed the dance floor with slow, sensual moves, bodies close and breathing heavily. 

Nick turned her around and raised her arms towards the moon, hands tracing from her wrists to her hips as his breath caressed the back of her neck. 

"You look gorgeous," he whispered softly in her ear, hands on her hips as he controlled their pace, not enough space for a single hair between them.

Her blond hair spun at her ponytail and her earrings dangled as Nick turned her swiftly back to him. She smiled, blushing and looking down, not knowing what to say. He raised her chin up with his hand, putting a hair strand behind her ear.

"Eleanor Bishop," Nick said, eyes dark in attraction and with laboring breath, "you're just gorgeous."

A strong rainfall poured from the sky, making old women scream and children laugh loudly, all facing upwards. A heavy cloud had appeared just above their heads, and now relentless rain coated every surface, from the tables to the stage to the neon tiles on the dance floor. The disco ball continued to spin, the glitter reflecting the water as it shone with the moon that was high enough to not be covered by the stormcloud. The water was hot, a summer pour as it wet the hair and clothes of the people still on the dance floor and put down the fire, smoke replacing the flames towards the sky. 

"Oh, that bastard," said Nick, remembering Ducky's words before capturing Ellie's lips with his own. 

His smooth tongue crashed into hers and she moaned in surprise, hands trailing his chest over his wet shirt. Nick closed his eyes with the felling, his heartbeat pulsating on his veins as he grabbed Ellie by her neck and pulled her closer. 

Their bodies pressed tightly together, his heat emanating through the dampness of his clothes, making Ellie's lower belly start to tingle in need. Her tongue moved in sync with his and she felt out of breath as his hands trailed her back and pushed her hips even closer. 

Her hands went straight to his short hair, massaging his scalp as Nick groaned inside her mouth, hands tightening on her body. The kiss grew deeper and raw, their tongues moving together in increasing need. 

The rain continued to fall, soaking their clothes and sticking their bodies together, but neither of them noticed it. 

They just cared about each other.

They continued to kiss in a lover's embrace until both of them ran out of oxygen and they started to feel the rain splashing on their bodies. Nick let go of Ellie's lips with closed eyes, trying to make the moment last longer. 

A loud roar of cheers erupted all around them. 

Their friends clapped and screamed as Nick opened his eyes and found Ellie smiling wide, honey eyes twinkling and its corners wrinkling in happiness. 

"FINALLY," yelled Jack, arms joined with Gibbs, "you guys were driving everyone mad," she said smiling.

Nick placed a soft kiss on Ellie's wet hair and wrapped an arm over her shoulders, pulling her closer into his arms as she hugged his waist with an opened smile. 

"Palmer _did_ convince me with the 'zero chemistry' pep talk," said Nick, walking towards his group of friends who were standing under the gazebo to avoid the rain, "the delay is not my fault."

Breena jokingly punched Jimmy's belly, making him squirm, "don't ever listen to him again," she said looking at her husband as he started to laugh. 

Tony patted Nick's shoulder and they shared a look for a moment. A smile opened on the groom's lips.

"Don't you dare propose at my wedding," he said, eyes twinkling.

Nick burst out laughing, and his joy spread among the group, who clapped and cheered even with the rain falling relentless outside. 

"I'm just a wuss," he replied, looking fondly to the blonde wrapped in his arms.

She smiled.

°°°

"And then I just had to find you," said Tony loudly, the sand crashing under his feet and the slow waves kissing his ankles, "you could've been a siren in another life, you know," he smiled at his fiancée, whose arm was joined in his as they walked next to the sea.

The summer rain had passed just as quickly as it arrived, the families going to their separated accomodations as the night stretched into late. Tali had already gone to bed in Abby's arms, who sang a soft melody to her until they've arrived in Ziva's room. Tony took his chance and pulled the bride to a walk across the beach, and now they felt completely alone in a Greek paradise.

The moon made their skin glow, their white clothes shining in light blue, as the sound of the waves crashing the sand repeatedly was the only thing they could hear for miles. That and Ziva's laughter.

"I hadn't have that much fun for ages," she said, sparkling brown eyes meeting clear green ones, her curls wild because of the rain framing her face, "since I was a little girl, I think," she stopped and smiled softly at him, eyes filled with love.

Tony grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up in the air, making her dress spin as she laughed under the stars. There were so many of them shining brightly now, with the abscence of the neon glow and multiple fairy lights. The waves continued to crash around them, Ziva's carefree laugh echoing across the bay.

"Can't believe I'm going to marry you tomorrow," he said as their foreheads touched when she slid down his body, "it feels like a dream."

They smiled in sync, the wind tousling their hair and white matching outfits. The sky had a touch of lightness, the color changing slightly from dark blue to light orange as the sun threatened to rise. The lovers stood there, the sea kissing their feet while they only breathed in the reality around them, foreheads touching as they closed their eyes.

"I love you so much," Ziva said softly, her voice carrying her words over the waves to Tony's ears. He opened his clear eyes, filled with surprise, laughing loudly right after.

"You do?" he asked, green eyes wide, joy pouring from his features.

"Well, I'm gonna marry you tomorrow, won't I?" Ziva replied, eyes smiling along with her lips, "would be pretty bad if I didn't."

He raised her up in the air again, spinning one more time as her laughter echoed all around.

"I LOVE ZIVA DAVID," Tony yelled to the sky, the stars saying goodbye as the light rays of sunshine replaced them, "I LOVE ZIVA DAVID WITH ALL MY HEART AND SOUL."

She chuckled in return, unbound hair flying freely as she spun in her lover's arms. Tony put her down and his hands cupped her cheeks, a permanent smile on his lips. He bent down to kiss her-

"NO, DON'T DO THAT," Ziva stopped him with a hand on his lips, "it brings bad luck."

"...What?" asked Tony as if in a daze, features soft.

"It brings bad luck to kiss on the wedding day before the marriage," she replied, gesturing to the pink sun starting to appear at the horizon, its light coloring the shining waves.

"You can't be serious," he bent down to kiss her again, but she moved out his way quickly, "you're saying I can't kiss my fiancée?"

Ziva laughed and started to run to the direction of her room, her white veil leaving her hair as it flew with the strong wind. 

"WAIT, COME BACK," yelled Tony startled, his feet failing him to follow her, "DAH-VEEEEED."

Ziva climbed the wooden stairs covered in sand which led to her balcony, a smile so opened wide her cheeks were hurting. Her chest was heaving with the effort, and laughter escaped her lips as she heard his muffled voice coming from the beach.

"I LOVE YOU, ZIVA DAVID," Tony yelled with all he had, "I LOVE YOU!"


	6. The day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."_  
>  \- Emily Brontë

Ziva opened her eyes.

It was morning.

She was going to get married today.

Tali's mouth was opened slightly as she slept soundly next to her, her light brown curls scattered all over the pillow like a lion mane, her features soft against the light rays of sunshine which trespassed the beige curtains of her mother's room. Ziva pulled a soft curl out of her face, finger tracing her cheek in fondness when her little girl didn't stop dreaming. Tali chewed, still asleep, her round cheeks forming a soft smile which made Ziva's heart tighten with love.

The bride surveyed the room. A few rays of sunshine colored the dark space with soft light, the sound of the waves crashing onto the sand muffled by the closed window. 

She looked up to the ceiling, breathing deeply. 

She was going to marry her best friend today.

Ziva David smiled like a fool.

She got out of bed after making sure Tali was still asleep and walked with silent steps to the balcony, opening the curtains and sliding the floor-to-ceiling windows open. Sunshine spilled over the room, the soft tones of light blue and faint white lightning the ivory and porcelain walls, the morning still early enough to have that kind of magical atmosphere, one that made you feel most alive. The sound of waves hitting the bay was magnified, the wind carrying the singing of early birds and distant seagulls while it tousled the bride's hair like a lover's caress. Ziva's eyes filled with tears and she closed them, inhaling the seawater aroma, the freshness of the day about to start calming her senses, feeling her mind relax as if she had slept for a whole day instead of only a few hours.

She could feel this moment while it was happening, aware that it would become a memory in years to come. She had never believed herself fit to be loved by another person, but now Ziva had a new future, of which this was the first moment, and even after many years had passed she would still think: Yes that was it, the beginning of my life.

Reality was finally better than her dreams.

She smiled.

Ziva came back to her room to make some coffee, her feet touching soundlessly the cold tiles as she made her way to the kitchen while Tali was still sleeping.

She put the coffee capsule in the machine, which started to vibrate softly. The bride lifted her head and caught her reflection on the glass cupboard door. Her wild dark hair floated around her, carried by the ocean wind kissing her freckled cheeks, her lips opened in a smile she didn't know she was casting. Ziva chuckled, grabbing the coffee mug and making her way back to the balcony, eager to hear the waves again.

The sun illuminated her hair and white robe, and she closed her eyes to inhale deeply the aroma of fresh coffee mixed with the salt of the sea. She felt calm and serene, her shoulders relaxed and her mind clear. The bride to be wasn't sure if she was supposed to feel like that, so peaceful. 

The air carried her giggles down the bay once Ziva opened her eyes and saw a message written on the sand, the letters big and almost being washed out by the seafoam. 

_Marry Me?_

She laughed until her cheeks started to hurt.

This was probably the best day of her life.

°°°

The daylight warmed his skin, hugging every surface visible, the sun already hot, even if not that high on the cloudless blue sky. He could feel the waves coming and going, the seafoam bubbles exploding on his skin and the pattern of their sound magnified as Tony was lying down on the sand, arms sprawled by his sides. 

He could feel the sunlight against his closed eyelids and sense the seagulls flying above his body, the flapping of their wings muffled by the ceaseless swaying of the palm trees. The constant pattern of the tide kissing his skin cold as he laid under the sun shirtless and hot made his mind dizzy, his breathing slowing down with the numb feeling of repetitiveness. 

He inhaled deeply the scent of the sea.

_Ocean and shea butter._

It was her perfume. His favorite. 

She had became his sea.

Tony was smiling like an idiot.

Since the minute he'd woken up, he hadn't let himself think about what this day meant. He wanted to cherish the exact moment he would realize it had finally arrived.

When the window of his room showed signs of early sunlight, Tony got out of bed determined and went straight towards the ocean, knowing in his heart it was the right thing to do. It was as if the sea enhanced his senses and was calling him closer, to feel the most he could all at once. 

He passed the white stone stairs of his balcony, and he passed the group of early fishermen setting their equipment on the bridge to the bay. He passed the line of swaying palm trees and he passed the wooden floorboards of the docks covered in howling seagulls. His feet guided him towards to warm sand while his mind was trying to avoid the thought until it exploded when he touched the cold saltwater.

_Ziva David._

_Ziva David wasn't dead, he was going to get married to her._

_Ziva David was going to be his completely. His partner forever._

Tony DiNozzo yelled in joy to the blue sky, running across the beach with arms stretched to the sun, heart thundering inside his chest until he became the wind. He felt he could fly, just walk over the waves and start soaring in happiness. 

He yelled until breathing became hard with the heat in his skin and the explosion that was happening in his mind. The rays of daylight followed his moves, the seagulls crying with him as Tony kneeled in the sand, painting. He looked to his shaking hands and inhaled the fresh air of the ocean, sighing heavily when the thought dawned him one more time.

He was going to marry the love of his life today.

The tide caressed his skin at the same pace of his breathing, though his heartbeat was fast and clear on his ears. It wet his hair and reflected the sun up above, which painted his opened smile golden and burnt his closed eyelids. With arms sprawled by his sides, Tony made himself relax, the constant waves numbing his senses until he felt in a daze made of bright sunlight and salty seawater.

A loud splash of cold water muffled his scream of bewilderment when McGee threw all the water of his bucket on his face all at once, taking Tony out of his momentaneous bliss.

"WHAT WAS _THAT_ FOR?" Tony asked rubbing his face off the salty water, coughing repetitively to get the little he had swallowed out of his system.

"You looked like you were gonna offer yourself to the ocean," said McGee nonchalantly, looking towards the sun while he waited for Tony to recover, "and I can't let you do that. One of the many honorable roles of a best man is to make sure the groom attends the wedding."

"Also you were tanning only on your front side, bro" added Nick, motioning to the torso in circular moves with a frown, "you needed to turn to your back ten minutes ago."

"I couldn't care less about tanning right now," answered Tony, getting up with difficulty and running a hand through his wet hair.

"There's a honeymoon, Tony," said Jimmy, covering his eyes from the sun to examine the groom's condition, "imagine being golden only on one side," he chuckled.

Tony stood up very still and looked at the three of them with a feral glint on his eyes. His friends were ready for another summer day, with swimsuits and shirtless, as if there wasn't anything special to do today. Jimmy carried a book and Nick held a surfboard under his arm, as if they were planning to spend the day at the beach. 

Well, who could blame them in a place like that?

"Probie," he stepped closer to McGee, calmly and slowly, "as an American federal agent," he kicked a little mount of sand, putting his hands in his pockets, "and a father of two children who actively play all the time," he stopped just in front of his friend, lifting his eyes to look at him, "how fast can you run?"

McGee stood still for a whole six seconds.

The sand beneath their feet scattered all around as Tim started running with all he could, throwing the bucket he was holding under his arm halfway, Tony getting closer to him every second. The sun made their skin glow and their breathing difficult, the screams of the two brothers echoing across the beach, birds flying away from their posts when laughter reverberated all around. Tony caught his ankle and Tim ended up falling face-first to the sand until a moment later he was completely neutralized under Tony's body weight, the groom's arm holding his back to the ground and hips locking his legs.

"You need to up your game, McGump," said Tony, a smile on his face and sweat coating his forehead as his friend trashed under his grip, "life is not always a box of chocolates, you know."

"I came to tell you something," said McGee with effort, his voice muffled by his position on the ground, "there's someone here to see you."

"Who? Everyone's already here."

"Not everyone, Agent DiNozzo," said a familiar voice behind them.

Tony got up in an instant and let McGee go, who now was trying his best to stand up on the ever-moving pile of soft sand. The man in front of them was wearing an old Hawaiian shirt and sandals, a Panama hat on his head and a toothpick hanging between his closed teeth.

"Director Vance," said Tony startled, one hand wiping his forehead and another helping his friend got up with jumbled feet, "welcome, sir, I thought you wouldn't be able to come." 

"I had to get the time to cherish the matrimony of two of our best agents," Leon Vance replied, eyes examining the waves crashing on the shore, "congratulations to you both," he added with a slight nod.

"Oh, thank you," said Tony looking disapprovingly to McGee, who was painting next to him with his hand on his knees, "may I get you something to drink?"

"No worries, DiNozzo," Vance surveyed the sea, looking around him and up towards the tall palm trees, "this is an amazing place. Your idea?"

Tony took a step to stand next to him, facing the horizon with a smile, "Ziva takes the credit on this one," his eyes twinkled with the memory, "she came here once when she was pregnant and fell in love with the place."

Vance nodded, "a great choice for retirement too," he said reflective, making Tony glance at him with interest, "paradise."

"Heard that before," answered the groom, now also facing the bright horizon where the sea and the sky intertwined with a distant look in his green eyes.

The sun shone high in the clear blue sky as a promise for a good day to come, the heat kissing their skin and freckling their exposed backs, while the wind moved the unstoppable tide and made the light seafoam fly towards the soft sand, quickly reabsorbed in seconds, creating a pattern on the wet floor. The seagulls started to chant loudly, their song like the bells which threatened to ring in any instant, announcing a ceremony about to start. 

The Greek island sure got close to its image of paradise.

"McGoat," Tony continued with a boyish smirk as if he knew an important secret, "what time is it?"

McGee glanced at the watch on his wrist, "we've got a few hours to kill."

"Who wants to fly at the greek waves?" asked the groom looking at Nick swaying with expertise above his surfboard, arms stretched to his sides and back bent a little to get the right angle of the wind. 

Tony smiled until his cheek started to hurt, already running to get his surfboard. 

The sun smiled with him.

°°°

"We've got no time to lose, ladies," said Abby exasperated, whose arms were full of hangers with different dresses, "lots of stuff on my list to get crossed."

She entered the bridal suite after kissing Ziva's cheek in a rush, her hand holding a familiar coffee cup which she was sipping constantly. The women followed her, each greeting the bride with a wide smile, Breena carrying a big bag of makeup and Ellie holding two bottles of strawberry champagne. 

"Where did you find Caf-pow on this island, Abbs?" asked Ziva, crossing her arms in front of her white robe, face furrowed in confusion, but a smile on her lips.

"I have my ways," her friend winked, putting the dresses inside the opened wardrobe in a corner of the room, the energy in her brightening up the room and contaminating everyone.

Ellie didn't waste any time and popped open the bottle of champagne, receiving loud cheers in return. Kasie opened up the curtains and tied them to the wall, letting the ocean breeze fill the room, the waves crashing loudly just nearby. Jack changed the water of the flower vases, arranging them neatly on the wooden table in the middle of the room. Delilah put a record to play, the voice of Roy Orbison filling the place, making everyone smile with the popular melody.

Ziva's heart beat fast, her breathing catching when reality dawned her once her friends started holding one glass of champagne each.

"To the most beautiful bride there is," said Ellie with a smile, holding her glass up high, the drops of water of the cold drink wetting her fingers, "may this wedding be filled with joy."

"To love," added Breena, a wink towards Ziva, "today and every day after that."

"To friendship," said the bride, giving a slight nod to the circle of women, a smile opened in gratitude, "thank you for everything."

They clinked their glasses and cheered loudly, their laughter reverberating inside the stone walls and mixing with the sound of the waves. The sweet taste of cold champagne exploded in their tongues, the bubbles popping and reddening their cheeks, big smiles opened in their lips. 

For a moment, time was endless and life was beautiful, made of palpable happiness and eternal bliss. The sun shone bright and the sky was blue, the birds sang along with the song playing on a white balcony and the palm trees danced in rhythm with the beat.

Paradise was here.

"Tali, Tali, where are you?" asked Ziva towards the bedroom, where her daughter was running around with Victoria, playing pirates with wooden swords, "come, we have a gift for the ladies, remember?"

Tali looked at Ziva with a nervous glint in her eyes, her shyness visible in her features as she ran to hug Ziva's leg. Her mother laughed softly and guided her towards the dressing table, where six little white boxes were placed, wrapped in light green ribbon and with an initial engraved on top of each one. Tali stretched to get one, her hand too small to hold them so she had to use both, looking at Ziva with wide hazel eyes. Ziva whispered something gently on Tali's ear and her daughter sprinted to the living room, giggles filling the air. 

"For you," she said to Abby, who was contorting her face with the cuteness of the scene and grabbed Tali's box with care.

"Thank you, Tali," Abby replied with a big smile on her lips, "can I give you a Gibbs' hug?"

The little girl nodded slightly and hugged her aunt, little arms being squished by Abby's ones whose mouth silently motioned to Ziva "she's so cute."

The women laughed and Tali lost her shyness after that, giving each of the ladies a little box with pride and enthusiasm. Once she received six hugs and kisses, Tali didn't even wait for what Ziva had to say and darted back towards Victoria, who now was creating a pillow fort along with the other kids. 

"Common, open them," Ziva smiled, a new glint in her eyes, "this little gift doesn't even cover all my appreciation for your help here, ladies. But know for certain that I'll never forget our friendship and all the laughter we shared on this trip."

Her friends opened their gifts and exclamations echoed all around, taking the content out of the box with an honest smile on each of their faces. 

It was a shell.

A spiral conch shell with a little engraving on the inside, large enough to hold in one hand but not too big. Every shell was different, with speckles of light orange, others with a soft pink surface and others completely pearl white. Ellie put hers without hesitating on her ear, the sound of waves coming and going magnified by the shell, the pattern relaxing and familiar. 

"Whenever you want to come to this island," said Ziva, her eyes watering with emotion, "just put it on your ear and the tide will take you back to paradise."

She was crying now with the prospects of this trip ending, she had never had that much fun in a lifetime. This island was, in fact, her paradise, with the never-ending waves crashing on the sand and the birds singing softly all around her. 

Ziva knew that if she just closed her eyes, her mind would come back here, to her friends, to happiness, to endless joy.

Bittersweet nostalgia filled her tongue, and even if the moment was happening right then, she just knew she would treasure the memory forever. 

_Paradise is where you are,  
And I couldn't be more grateful  
For our wonderful time together,  
Even if it wasn't  
Not nearly enough._

Just below the message, it was engraved the date of the wedding. 

Everyone has a different concept for miracles.

This was one in Ziva's eyes.

"Oh, shoot," said Breena, hand wiping a tear which traced her cheek, "it's not even the wedding yet and I'm already crying."

"You owe me 20 dollars," replied Delilah, patting a tissue on the corner of her eye.

"The bet was about the wedding, not before," answered Breena, taking a deep breath to recompose herself, "besides, it didn't end yet."

"Lots to do," said Abby, nodding vigorously to the women, swallowing her remaining champagne all at once.

"Someone still needs to say 'I do'," said Ellie, running towards Ziva and hugging her from the side, the other girls following her and hugging the bride together. Giggles filled the room as the song changed and everyone cheered. The wind scattered some sand on the ceramic tiles of the room, the floor-to-ceiling windows open to welcome the breeze. A lonely seagull stopped on the balcony, tilting its head, but soon departed when the laughter grew louder. The sun smiled and warmed the room, excited to be a part of the ceremony later on.

"Oh, I almost forgot," said Ziva in a jump, feet moving towards the wardrobe to get something, "one for each, let's have some fun, ladies."

A roar of cheers sounded when the bride handed a silk robe each, the color of rose gold and with the name of each friend designed on its back. Ziva grabbed hers to change her normal white hotel robe for a silk one, 'bride' engraved on its back. 

She smiled, heart beating faster. The day had finally come, and Ziva David was ready.

"Do you think Tony is _that_ organized?" asked Breena, spinning around herself with a silk robe in hand.

Ziva chuckled, her cheeks reddening, "oh, he was so excited, he's probably already dressed by now."

°°°

"Hand me yours, McGosling," said Tony, hand stretched towards his friend, who was sitting next to him.

"If you keep eating them, Tony, it's not gonna work," replied McGee, giving the groom the cucumber placed on his eye and now both of them seemed to be wearing an eye-patch, "my sister says it has an anti-inflammatory effect that helps in reducing puffiness, but only if you keep them for a good while."

They dragged the sun chairs from his room towards the balcony, and now the seven of them were lying down under the shade with white hotel robes and clay face masks, cucumbers on each of their eyes and the sea breeze calming their skin. One bottle of bourbon was already empty and low jazz played from Tony's vinyl player, its sound muffled by the relentless waves. Senior was already sleeping soundly, snoring like a sailor, while Gibbs had lost his patience and now taught Jimmy how to do a certain move in chess. Nick was sprawled with his arms stretched out to his sides, hands opened as if welcoming the sun, completely absent from the reality around him. 

"I think I can get used to this," said Vance, his back being massaged by a professional who was putting some kind of oil on his skin.

"I think I already did," replied Tony, his limbs stretching on his chair, wet hair glistening under the sun as he took the one cucumber he had on his eye and ate it nonchalantly.

"I propose a toast," said Nick, eyes still covered by the cucumbers and arms sprawled at his sides, now holding a cold beer, "to having a good time."

"To the groom," said Palmer with a smile followed by a slight nod from Gibbs, "great things come for those who wait."

"God knows how much I did," said Tony with a raise of his chin.

"To lots and lots of hot times," added Nick, swaying his beer on the air with a smile.

A roar of cheers erupted on the balcony, when cans of cold sweet beer clinked together and the boys shook Tony's shoulders as he smiled like an idiot and was for once speechless. 

Their laughter echoed past the swinging palm trees across the shore, the waves moving in rhythm with the reverberations, seafoam slowly painting the warm sand white. Tony's heart started beating fast once he sat on his chair and looked to the bright orange sun shining relentlessly on the clear blue sky. 

"McGee," he said calmly, almost evasively, "what time is it?"

The best man took the cucumber off his eye and glanced at his wristwatch with squinting eyes, "we have... Almost two hours to the grand entrance."

"YOU'RE JOKING," exclaimed Tony exasperated, jumping from his chair and running inside, knocking the chess game Gibbs and Palmer played in his wake, "I THOUGHT WE HAD ALL AFTERNOON."

"WELL, THE AFTERNOON ISN'T A 24 HOURS DAY, TONY," yelled McGee to his friend, who already entered the bathroom and locked the door.

"NO KIDDING, PROBIE," Tony's voice was loud even if muffled through the door, a shower turning on almost instantly, "TELL ME WHEN IT'S AN HOUR LEFT, ZIVA SAID IT WAS THE FIRST LOOK. DON'T MESS IT UP, MCGUILTY."

McGee couldn't help but smile at the scene, this was typical DiNozzo fashion, to end up late for his own wedding.

"WILL DO."

°°°

"Okay, I'm ready," Ziva's voice echoed in the living room, where her group of friends was eagerly counting the seconds to see her, "3... 2...1..." 

Abby opened the door swiftly, revealing the bride grinning broadly in the other room.

Every single one of them yelled and smiled at the same time, squeezing each other's hands and hearts beating fast in sync. A wave of "aaawns" and "oh my gods" mixed together, the sun smiling with the view. 

"You look stunning," said Jack, a hand covering her opened mouth.

The shimmering gown reflected the rays of sunlight, and Ziva smiled as if she knew the effect the dress would have on people. 

It was a [hand-beaded mermaid gown](https://66.media.tumblr.com/a33baa4b74c790ba439c77cce57441b2/e1aa5a1ece04eab3-d2/s1280x1920/068fa195838f62b45d7e6fa03fb41d690878c432.jpg) with sheer long sleeves made of crochet beaded lace and a vintage rose pattern, the crystal embroideries catching the light the sun. The trail continued touching the wooden floor, the light cloth hugging her skin at every right curve and making her glow in an ethereal way. It wasn't exactly white, the dress had a creamy undertone that contrasted well with her smooth olive skin. It had a low but not too much revealing [cleavage made of transparent tule](https://66.media.tumblr.com/d2b8072795729d6e5268ec2087ac9b4c/e1aa5a1ece04eab3-5f/s1280x1920/23ee24d206b36e2bc6c1836af31a24b21a6d9aba.jpg), her arms covered with transparent rose embroideries wrapped along the sleeves to her wrists. She turned around, receiving another roar of gasps and howls. 

The dress was backless, the cut low enough to let her small back dimples visible just above the rose-patterned tule. [Fours rows of beaded crystals crossed her back](https://66.media.tumblr.com/ce857f4b118e2b2e190aab41c0254a45/e1aa5a1ece04eab3-0a/s1280x1920/31492b53bf595ce1e56c75d0a43a85f38276a261.jpg), hanging from each one of her shoulders, adding an elegant detail to the bridal gown.

She looked like a goddess.

"OH, MY GOOOOD," yelled Abby, running towards her with her hands together, "YOU LOOK GORGEOUS," she stopped just in front of Ziva and squeezed her shoulders, giving up of her normal hug to not damage the dress.

"I'm so excited for you, Zee," said Breena, a tissue wiling her happy tears as she kissed the bride's cheek, "you look beautiful." 

"Thank you," Ziva nodded with a smile, her unbound hair still to the style floating around her as she did a gentle spin, "I guess I feel that too." 

"You look just so powerful," added Ellie with a smile, half of her hair curled and half tied in a messy bun, "the dress is beautiful, but you look just stunning in it, Ziva."

"Well said," nodded Kasie in agreement, the only one with makeup already finished, a wide grin in her gleaming lips.

"If you look like that in the wedding dress, imagine the look on his face when he sees the honeymoon lingerie," said Delilah, enticing a loud roar of cheers from everyone, "Tony's gonna freak out." 

Their laughter echoed across the room, the sun slowly making its way down at the blue sky, its light reflecting on the numerous beads of Ziva's dress and the twinkling of their excited eyes. Their hearts were beating fast and they couldn't help but smile in joy, their cheeks hurting involuntarily with the constant praise to the beautiful bride. She spun one more time, slowly, inhaling deeply, her soft smirk making her even more gorgeous. The seagulls cried outside as if cheering for her as well, the constant flapping of their wings a song in Ziva's ears.

The bride blushed until she could feel her cheeks warm, but her lips were opened in a confident grin, "he's going to absolutely freak out, I'm sure of that." 

°°°

"TIMOTHY MCGURU, I AM FREAKING OUT," Tony yelled from where he darted across his bedroom, opening wardrobe doors and rummaging drawers repeatedly, "HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHERE MY TIE WENT?"

Mcgee appeared by the door, his head poking out with a concerned look as he tried to put on his cufflinks without looking at them, "it couldn't have gone very far, Tony."

"Ha-ha," Tony put his suspenders down for a minute to help him pull his suitcase from under the bed, "this is the only day I can actually look Bond-presentable and I just have to pull a DiNozzo AND LOSE MY GODDAMN TIE," he finished rummaging through his things and run a hand through his hair, an alarmed look in his eyes.

McGee couldn't help but smile at his friend's concern, he looked great in his eyes, with cream trousers and [dark blue suspenders](https://66.media.tumblr.com/a46706a443e08db8b4db580aef34284e/0646d3fc88b060e7-b2/s400x600/3bce3ee76e02b45eb4f79ce762d1fe08e3d3d972.jpg) hanging from a white tailored shirt. Except for the crazy look in his eyes, Tony looked pretty _groomy_ to him.

"Tony, calm down, will you?" he stopped him by his shoulders, making the groom meet his eyes and hopefully see the calm emanating from them, "have you thought about not wearing one? This is a family wedding at the seaside, after all."

"Oh," Tony looked at Tim attentively, raising his eyebrow, "now that you mention it, Probie," he narrowed his eyes, "I recall Ziva mentioning something about ties AND HOW IT WAS GRAVELY IMPORTANT THAT I WORE ONE TODAY AND NOT LOOK LIKE A GODDAMN SURFER BOY."

"OKAY, GOT IT," McGee raised his eyebrows and, with wide eyes, let go of a boiling Tony, "I'll ask Palmer about that."

"I also broke my shoes," Tony sat down on the bed, surveying the mess of his room with a sad look.

"What do you mean, you broke your shoes?" McGee poked his head again at the room, his forehead furrowed in confusion, "how can you break shoes?"

Tony took out the tan leather shoes of his feet and motioned them to McGee vaguely, his head down to his chest looking completely defeated.

"The _thingy_ on the top, it just doesn't work," Tony let go of the shoe, huffing a breath as his friend started inspecting it.

"... the shoelace?"

"Yeah, and Ziva wrote on the sole of them, so I need to wear those."

McGee turned the shoes around, smiling as he read the message she had left for him with gold sharpie.

_A journey of a thousand smiles begin with a single step.  
Love, Z_

They wouldn't ever change, would they?

"Okay... why don't you... why don't you finish getting ready and I'll sort this out with Jimmy, uh?" McGee bent down to pat his shoulder, "don't worry. Just don't... freak out."

"You're the best man there ever was, Tim," Tony nodded slightly, inhaling once deeply, "thank you."

The waves crashed continuously and Tony breathed in sync with the tide, the engulfing sound invading his senses and calming his mind. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair, listening to the birds crying distantly and the low jazz still playing in the living room, where his friends were getting ready. His frantic heartbeat slowed down to a numbing pace, and he smiled with the thought of Ziva dressed as a bride. 

He couldn't wait to see her walking down the aisle.

As _his_ bride. 

To marry _him._

He beamed until his smile turned into a chuckle, letting himself fall onto his soft bed with a thud. With closed eyes, he imagined Ziva dressed in white, the golden light of the sunset illuminating her like an angel, _his angel_ , as she walked slowly until she was just a step away, smiling at him. 

God, he had that fantasy so many times, even before he thought of proposing, just imagining her finally being his, as his wife, could make him smile for a good while. 

He felt like the luckiest man in the world. 

Gibbs stood still at the door frame studying his former agent smile like an idiot. He reminded him of himself, a younger version of him, completely in love with a young redhead woman. A rare smirk formed in his lips. 

There wasn't any doubt, this man was deeply in love for someone.

People say love is blind, but it's quite visible for outsiders.

Earlier that day, Palmer had asked him a favor that made him think. He usually took little time doing that, for it was quite simple, but it was also contrary to his beliefs, so he had to study the circumstances thoroughly. Gibbs had to go see Ziva soon, but he took his time to assure Tony was okay after all that screaming he had heard from next door. 

They were both his kids, after all.

"DiNozzo," he spoke softly, knocking on the opened door and startling the groom slightly, "your father wants to see you."

Tony got up a bit groggy for a man about to get married in a few hours and walked out of his room towards the adjacent one, filled with people on various degrees of dressed. Nick was the only one completely put together, playing a game on his phone and sipping a cold beer. Palmer was still shirtless, talking to McGee vigourously, two different shoes on his hands. His best man studied them with a frown until he decided on one and took its shoelace in a swift move. Tony smirked softly and looked around, searching for his father. He found him stationed on the balcony, facing the sea coming and going.

"Hey, dad," said Tony, putting his dark blue suspenders back in place as he surveyed the baby blue waves, seafoam scattering across the sand. His father seemed distant, his hands in his pockets as he sighed heavily.

"I thought this day would never come," he said, still looking to the ocean reflecting the sunlight, "I thought you were like me."

Tony huffed a laugh, positioned himself next to his father, also facing the sea, "I was never like you."

"I know," Senior turned to his son, studying his profile and smiling softly, "you're a better man."

"Stop it, Dad, I'm already guilty that you're paying for all of this," Tony sighed and put his forearms on the balcony counter, the wind tousling softly his still to style hair, "and people keep telling me it's a paradise."

"Well, to be in love feels like that, Junior," DiNozzo Senior smiled for his son, who couldn't help but smile in return, "I have something for you."

He took out a little velvet box from his suit inner pocket, the corners of it aged with time. Senior opened it slowly to an amused, frowning groom.

"Your mother gave it to me the day of our wedding," watery eyes blurred his vision, but Senior kept smiling, "she would want you to have it."

A startled Tony looked at the small box, his heart beating fast at the mention of his mother. The seagulls cried from up above and the sound of the waves brought nostalgia to his tongue. Memories of afternoons at the beach and barbecues on his summer house, his mother calling him again and again to dinner. Sandcastles and child adventures, movie quizzes and bedtime stories. His heart tightened and his vision blurred.

"I can't take that, Dad," a hand wiped a traitorous tear, his eyes never leaving the box, "she gave it to you."

"And she would argue with me to give it to you," said Senior, gently placing the box on Tony's palm, "she would be so happy for you, Junior."

Tony couldn't keep the tears from falling, his breathing turning difficult and his heart beating fast. 

"She would tell me to hurry up," he smiled with the thought, wiping his tears away and running a hand through his hair, "and to stop crying," he chuckled lightly, "but my emotions are all over the place today."

"I know, son," Senior squeezed his shoulder fondly, "hurry up. And stop crying, you have a beautiful woman waiting for you, uh? A woman for a lifetime." 

Tony nodded slightly, pulling his father in a tight embrace. The two men stood like that for a moment, no words needed. Their bodies were at the stone balcony, but their minds were at a woman, a mother, and a wife, now long gone. The thin white clouds parted and rays of sunshine lit their faces as if she was smiling down at the scene, finally pleased for son and father being together at last. 

For a moment, the seagulls stopped crying, and if one paid enough attention, they would hear the wind laughing, playing with the groom's hair and warming the atmosphere. She kissed his cheek briefly and in a heartbeat, she was gone, the wind carrying her laughter away, towards the dancing ocean and the seafoam painted sand.

Tony felt better instantly, patting his father's back and giving him a soft smile, "thank you, Dad."

"Go marry that girl, Junior." 

He left the balcony, letting Tony have a moment alone, only a small red velvet box on his hand. 

He opened it again, revealing [two white pearl cufflinks](https://66.media.tumblr.com/851ac61cf7618ff85399a6afaf2452c0/0646d3fc88b060e7-38/s500x750/636a6186c4d4100bbe4842e37302892379aa2733.jpg) set on a black onyx and silver base, twinkling under the sunlight. They were elegant little things, the pearl gemstones gleaming in a fuschia tone, making him laugh loudly. 

It was as if she knew he was getting married at a beach. 

Paradise, some might say.

°°°

Three knocks sounded at the door.

"Who is it?" asked Kasie loudly, stepping closer to look at the peephole.

"Not the groom," answered Nick with a smile, dressed in a [white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, cream-colored trousers, and dark blue suspenders](https://66.media.tumblr.com/c1fed1e7c3ecf92c7ed79e5c62801e41/0646d3fc88b060e7-75/s1280x1920/cf5ebab64edc83681681e5bf04a3819417a3bed8.jpg), clean shaved and with combed hair. A sprig of greens, an orchid, and a calla lily brought sophistication to his lapel, wrapped together in a small boutonnière. He looked handsome and he knew it.

Kasie opened the door with an opened mouth smile, still dressed in her rose gold silk robe, eyes studying Nick as he gave her a spin, "Daaaaamn, you look so goooood."

"Thank you," he gave her a brief curtsy, stepping into the suite. He looked around searching for someone, but it appeared the girls were getting ready somewhere else.

"I want my look to be very BAM," she motioned with opened hands to her silk robe, "I won't show it to anyone so everyone is shocked on the aisle," she smiled, following his eyes.

"I need to talk to-"

"She's on the balcony."

"Oh, okay," Nick's eyes shifted to the place Kasie pointed, where beige curtains swayed in the ocean wind, the afternoon sunlight spilling into the room, "thanks, Kasie."

She left the room, dancing to some upbeat 80s rock song as she opened and closed one of the doors nearby, looking completely carefree. Nick smiled, then turned his eyes again to the white stone balcony, the sea visible beyond, waves moving constantly in a slow rhythm. The permanent daylight and saltwater scent brought him a good kind of dizziness, as if he was still swaying with the tide and a surfboard under his feet, the numbing feeling of repetitiveness calming his senses. He stepped into the broad sunlight with closed eyes, inhaling deeply the ocean breeze as he entered the balcony looking for the bride. McGee had asked someone to talk to Ziva about Tony's tie he couldn't find, and as he was already dressed, Nick volunteered to help.

His eyes glanced sideways to someone standing on his right vision corner.

The rays of sunshine made her silhouette shine like gold as her hazel eyes twinkled with a shy smile.

His heart stopped. Then sped up with whole force, the thumping loud in his ears as his mouth opened slack and his eyes darted everywhere.

Ellie was already dressed, wearing a [champagne-colored satin silk dress](https://66.media.tumblr.com/61e83b4ffe16e17ab75aef8e28e871d5/e1aa5a1ece04eab3-99/s1280x1920/a7e5b2b978dc6ee593906137a5a56ed1f714d71e.jpg) ending just on her calves, opening in a back leg split, with a slightly curved cow neckline and spaghetti straps. Her blonde hair framed her rosy cheeks in waves, a [crown of eucalyptus and olive leaves](https://66.media.tumblr.com/1082d61a89e1eef55cac4637b86bfadd/0646d3fc88b060e7-73/s500x750/c66fc852f81d7bd8178f2d0c6149ac53a5e5aafb.jpg) as well as dried babies breath and cream-colored garden roses sitting on top of her head. She smiled, whiskey eyes with a light smoking look twinkling with excitement.

Nick was spechless.

He had never seen her so pretty, her dimples visible from her wide smile and silhouette just gleaming under the sunlight. His throat tightened and his mouth turned dry, the warmth of his heart spreading through his veins to his fingertips, making them tingle in want. He closed his aghast mouth and coughed slightly when Ellie started to narrow her eyes, studying his reaction. 

"Bishop," his voice failed him and he tried to lose the neckline of his shirt, "Bishop, you..."

Ellie smirked and turned to him, huffing a laugh at his baffled expression, "...Nick?"

"You... you..." he inhaled deeply, lips wetting his dry lips, "you..."

"... Yeah?"

"... You-"

"Oh, for God's sake, just say she looks nice," a familiar voice came from the balcony door, a clear smile in her speech despite her annoyed tone.

The grinning bride stood at the doorframe with crossed arms, her whole entourage watching the scene from behind her. Abby linked arms with Breena and walked away laughing, carrying a glass of sparkling champagne. Delilah followed them, after giving a slight nod to Nick with a knowing smirk. Jack and Kasie stood there, looking at him with crossed arms and amused eyes, waiting for his response. 

"ZIVA," he startled where he stood, running a hand through his already combed hair, eager for an excuse, "TIE."

"Tie?" asked Ziva with a chuckle, which made Nick notice the shimmering wedding dress. He started to laugh loudly, and the girls sent each other puzzled looks.

Ellie looked at him with a grave face and walked past him without saying a word. He was bending down with his hands on his knees, and only felt a swoosh of wind and the reflection of the sun from the corner of his eye, shinning on stomping golden high heels.

He inhaled deeply and stopped laughing, motioning to a disappointed Ziva to let him pass inside. She went to her room, the girls staying at the balcony to enjoy the breeze. 

Except for Ellie. Nick heard the front door clicking as he stepped into the living room. He cursed to himself, a heat boiling in his chest.

"What's wrong with you women?" he asked the bride, who looked at him with raised eyebrows, "do you really have to dress like- like- goddess just to put us off?"

Ziva's lips formed a dangerous smirk.

"We, _women_ , dress only for ourselves, Nick," she raised her chin, "getting you speechless is just a consequence," she walked closer to him, the beads of her dress catching the sunlight with the movement, "have you talked to her since yesterday?"

Nick changed his stance, clearly uncomfortable, "no, no I didn't. I was trying to find the right moment."

"Well, you just missed it."

"Yeah, I know," he sat down at the couch, closing his eyes and clenching his jaw.

"Talk to her-"

"But it was just one kiss."

"And yet it didn't felt like it, did it?" Ziva walked to his side and squeezed his shoulder, "she deserves to know."

"But what about Gibbs? What about rule number 12?" he looked at her with pleading eyes, confused and sad, "what about us as partners?"

"I have a feeling you can, and will, work that out, but only together," she told him with honest eyes.

"I can't lose her."

"You will if you don't talk to her," she gave him a soft smile, "did the rat get your tongue?"

"... What?"

"Oh, you said something about a tie," Ziva looked at the clock on the wall. Her heart started beating fast, a warm feeling spreading at her chest. They had planned a moment together before the wedding, and her fingertips started to tingle with anticipation.

Nick nodded, "yeah, the tie. Groomzilla lost his tie and now his things are all over the place. I came here to ask you about it, we couldn't find it."

"Because he didn't bring it," said Ziva, a laugh escaping her lips, "he said it would be _cool_ not to wear one. I don't mind, so I agreed."

"So... There is no tie?"

"No, that idiot," she smiled until her cheeks started to hurt.

"Okay," Nick sighed heavily, standing up with a concerned look, "I'll tell him. Oh, I almost forgot," he took out a small paper from his pocket and gave it to her, "I'm also his carrier pigeon now."

Her eyes twinkled as she took the note, a knowing smirk on her lips. To send a love letter just before the wedding was such a DiNozzo thing to do.

"Well, I'm your cupid, so we're even," she laughed.

Nick nodded with a smile and made his way to the door.

"Hey, Nick?" he turned to her with his hand on the doorknob, "she _will_ understand."

He looked at Ziva and her shimmering dress, still smiling fondly with her lover's message on her hand. Nick nodded and his heart seemed to loosen up somehow. He smiled.

"And he will cry as soon as he sees you," he opened the door, "thank you again, Ziva David."

"My pleasure, Nick Torres."

The door closed and Ziva lips opened a big grin as she unfolded the small paper and read the little note there. She made her way to her room, her blushing cheeks a beautiful contrast to her cream-colored haut couture gown.

"Tali?" she looked around, trying to find her daughter, "Tali, mon Coeur, where are you?"

She found her [spinning with her flowing dress in front of the mirror](https://66.media.tumblr.com/67bf7b7f3d187d91357789246251ff71/0646d3fc88b060e7-e6/s400x600/2b78ac9fab39dfdaebd9e6a05bfbf3bd36c0bc55.jpg), giggles filling the air as the light-colored tule swayed around her. An olive leaves crown similar to the bridesmaids' one was already placed at her light brown hair, her little hand fixing it constantly as it fell once she spun. Ziva's heart tightened at the scene, her eyes involuntary watering at the sight of her daughter so happy. Moments ago she was bugging her because she wanted to see 'Daddy as prince charming'.

"Tali, come here," her daughter walked towards her with little steps and already breathing difficult with the nonstop spinning, "you look just like a princess."

Tali's giggles mixed with Ziva's ones and the waves smiled with them, the tide increasing as if agreeing to the sight.

"Would you do a favor for me?" Ziva went to the dressing table and wrote something at the small note, folding it over itself and handing it to Tali, "would you give this to your father? He must see it right away, uh?"

Ziva fixed the leaves crown of her hair, pinning it with nude hairpins after she opened them with her teeth. Tali waited for her mother to fix her hair and then darted to the door laughing, not waiting for an explanation.

"AND STOP RUNNING," Ziva's voice echoed down the hall, but her daughter had already left the suite.

She smiled fondly.

"You're just like him, aren't you?"

The bride's laughter reverberated from the balcony to the sand down below, the rays of sunshine twinkling in her eyes and illuminating her shining dress. She sipped a bit of her cold champagne, the sweet strawberry taste calming her nerves. The waves continued to kiss the bay.

What a beautiful thing to already have a little being with your best friend, even if an energetic and constantly tiring one. She was a perfect mix of both of them, and she was extraordinary. 

Ziva laughed, wondering about her future and grateful for her life.

She felt like a very lucky woman.

Life had been good to her at last.

°°°

Tony put on the cream-colored suit-jacket and lifted his eyes to the mirror.

He sighed deeply and patted on his combed hair, then ran his hand over his clean shaved jaw, making sure it was smooth and even. His green eyes looked nervous but determined through his reflection, a hint of a smile at the corner of his lips. His heart was beating fast, the rhythm frantic in contrast to the slow waves of the bay and the crying of the seagulls, his breathing labored even though he was very still.

Tony took out a wrinkled picture from his suit pocket, the edges worn out from years of handling. It showed a blond woman, smiling to the camera, an arm wrapped around the shoulders of a young boy in front of a small cinema, the title "The Little Prince" in big bold letters on the main sign. His light hair was shining under the winter sun, and his smile was matching hers.

"Oh, mum," Tony muttered to himself, stroking fondly her face on the picture as his eyes started to water, "I remember how glad you were when I would chose to watch some indie romantic film instead of an action common blockbuster with you from time to time," he smiled softly, "and how you would spend the whole two hours of it instructing me on how to treat a girl right."

"I remember us eating a whole bowl of popcorn for dinner and not telling dad," Tony chuckled, looking at the clear blue sky and the sun descending on the horizon, "and how much you loved to stay for the ending credits, sometimes silent, sometimes asking me to review the whole thing right there at the cinema room."

The waves crashed loudly at the sand, but Tony's beating heart on his ears muffled the sound, "you would have loved this place, Ma. I know I've made a lot of mistakes, but this-"

Warm tears traced down his cheeks, but Tony was smiling widely through a blurred vision, "this time, mum, this girl, she- you'd have loved her. You would have just loved her so much."

"She's smart, real smart, and she's humble and, I know this isn't so important, but she's just so beautiful. _So_ beautiful. And powerful," he laughed with the sight of years watching Ziva fight like she was coined as unbottled fire, "she's the strongest woman I've ever met, in every sense of the word. I think you would have laughed a lot together."

The sea breeze kissed his cheek, the sun warming his skin on its final hours, and Tony had to inhale deeply once his throat started to close.

"This time, I'll treat her right, Ma," he held the picture tighter, warm tears still falling over his cheeks, "I'll make sure to do everything you taught me. Everything. I have two beautiful girls in my life now, " he chuckled softly thinking about Tali, "I just wished they were still three. God, I just wish you were here, I miss you so much."

Tony kissed the picture and put it in his pocket, wiping the tears which had escaped him and smiling softly towards the sun. He thought he noticed it shine brighter for a moment.

"This would have been one of your favorite films, mum," his heart tightened, "our story- our love was made for movie screens."

He nodded to the wind, sad eyes darting from the waves to the horizon. Clenching his jaw, he left his room, going outside to finally see his bride. Probably cry some more.

He didn't notice her laughter dancing again at the wind, a sad note to it as well.

°°°

He heard footsteps on the stone tiles of the backyard patio. 

"Can I turn around?"

"Wait, we're still fixing the trail," the words left Abby's mouth and she instantly put a hand on it, blue eyes wide open after having said too much.

He saw white from the corner of his eye.

"Hey, don't peep," said Delilah, a smile in her voice.

"Here she comes," sang Breena in an excited tune, a soft chuckle coming right after.

He faced straight again, turning his head to the sea. His hands were sweating, so they squeezed them tightly together. His heart was now a thundering gallop in his chest, the warmth of its beating spreading down his body towards his fingertips. Tony inhaled deeply, the saltwater scent cleansing his senses. A hand went to his hair, to involuntary comb any loose strands. He was changing the stance of his feet, almost jumping to turn around and see his bride. 

The tide washed the warm sand clean, and a few dolphins could be seen leaping through the waves near the horizon, their wet smooth skin reflecting the rays of the remaining sunlight. The palm trees swayed with the wind, the fresh aroma of orange juice and sparkling wine being poured into glasses on top of moving trays mixing with the sea scent. Olive branches decorated the ivory gazebo, along with pale garden roses, white orchids and flowering jasmine vines, intertwined together and cascading down the pillars and stairs all around him. 

The place was beautiful, but he just couldn't wait to see _her_.

Tony closed his eyes, cherishing the moment. 

He could feel tears threatening to spill and he clenched his jaw, swallowing them.

A breath caressed his cheek and his heart felt like it was going to explode out his chest. 

Tony inhaled again heavily, the hairs on the back of his neck standing out with her presence behind him, the heat emanating from her and penetrating his clothes.

A harsh intake of breath escaped his lips when he felt a light tapping on his shoulder. His hands were shaking.

Tony turned around.

McGee looked just fabulous on a wedding gown.

Tony yelled and just burst out laughing, bending down until he was kneeling on the ground, warm tears coming anyway down his red face.

"GET OUT OF HERE," his face couldn't stop smiling, a hand wiping his cheeks as he tried to stand up but couldn't, "you made me cry here, man."

McGee held his shoulders and helped him stood up, loud laughter coming from him and the bridesmaids just filling the whole backyard. 

"Pull back my veil-"

"Man, I was so nervous-"

"Just pull it back," McGee was now crying with laughter too, a hand leaving his makeshift bouquet to wipe his tears. He was wearing a [bridal gown that the boys couldn't close from the back](https://66.media.tumblr.com/498f43ff1b80ab72f8c2779534ca9ec4/0646d3fc88b060e7-50/s640x960/641817dde1631fd213c2d3d4f30289105a5f2b34.jpg), a thin simple cloth as a veil fixed on his short hair and a bouquet of roses on his hand. Tony pulled the veil back with tears in his eyes, laughing until his stomach started to hurt.

"How could you play with my emotions like that, Probie, _how could you_?"

"Even after years of you bullying me, it was not my idea," he gestured to a group of men in cream-colored suits in the corner of the garden, tears also falling from their cheeks with laughter. Jimmy was already lying on the ground, a hand on his hurting stomach and a smile on his lips.

"You look so pretty, McBride," Tony had put his hands on his knees again, his red face still contorted in laughter, "this is burnt on my retinas forever."

"I can't wait to make more babies with you," said McGee, wrapping a hand around his shoulders and kissing Tony on the cheek.

"Oh, gosh, my heart," the groom put a hand on his chest, "I thought I was going to have a minor heart attack."

"Oh, Tony, _let's getta out of here_ ," said McGee with a mocked moan, a hand caressing Tony's chest.

"Oh, shut up, man, _you_ get out of here," Tony pushed him away, but a wide smile couldn't leave his lips.

"Wait, a picture," exclaimed Abby, running to them and almost tripping on her champagne-colored satin bridesmaid dress in the process.

Tony wrapped his arms around McGee's waist and Abby took a prom styled picture, both of their faces red with laughter. The groom then lifted him in his arms, running towards his group of friends that were still sprawled on the ground with wide smiles on their faces, and threw McGee on their direction. 

The men got together for a group hug, patting each other's backs as loud laughter filled the air, tears of hysteric joy tracing their cheeks.

"I hate you guys."

"We love you, pal," said Jimmy, who couldn't stop smiling.

"Where is she?" he asked the group of giggling bridesmaids, searching for Ziva everywhere. Ellie came running to him, a wide smile on her face.

"She thought it would be best if you had a surprise at the aisle," she squeezed his arm.

"OH, YOU GOT TO BE KIDDING ME," a roar of cheers reverberated across the patio from his friends, patting his back as Tony squatted to the floor, "I'm not going to see her now?" he asked, running a hand through his hair as his knees failed him.

"I'm sorry, Tony," said Abby smiling widely, "her direct orders."

A little hand pulled his trousers, a wide gap-toothed smile on her lips as she looked up to him. His disappointment dissipated in a second.

"OH, MY GOOOD," Tony lifted her in the air, her white dress tule swaying around her, "you look so pretty, sweet cheeks," he gave Tali a wet kiss on her hair, "just like a princess."

Her giggles filled the air as Tony rocked her in his arms, covering her cheeks in kisses. His face lit up, and a wave of cheers and laughter echoed on the patio. 

Tali lifted a small paper to his face, her hazel eyes wide with excitement, "Ima told me to give it to you," she nodded repeatedly and her crown of olive leaves fell to her eyes, but she managed to put it back on its place.

Tony unfolded the paper with a puzzled look in his green eyes.

He started to laugh.

"Does anyone have a pen?" he put Tali down after kissing her hair one last time. 

He was smiling broadly.

°°°

Ziva fixed her white veil on her curls, placing it atop of her shoulders.

She looked at the framed mirror of the dressing table.

An excited laugh escaped her lips, her cheeks blushing with the sight. She really looked stunning, the white tule of the veil cascading down to her shoulders, her curls neatly arranged in a low bun. [White jasmines and fresh baby breaths adorned her olive leaves crown](https://66.media.tumblr.com/1a8419f905907e8deeb6cd1ed4ea752c/0646d3fc88b060e7-e9/s1280x1920/aabfc752e2bff5f3e48696cad678708962d2da1b.jpg), fixing the veil in place and giving a serene look to her glowing face. She felt beautiful, and her heart started beating fast with the thought of Tony seeing her like that. She smiled widely, her chest tightening in love. The sunlight made the beads on her shoulders shine and, as she shifted slightly, the sparkling cloth of the veil shimmered as well.

Her eyes shifted to a photograph placed on top of the table, her parents smiling as if happy for her too.

"Oh, Abba," she grabbed the picture, kissing it with watery eyes, "I finally did it. I found happiness."

Ziva held another picture, one framed with buttons, of her and her brother and sister embraced in a hug. 

"Oh, how I wish you were all here, everyone's happy. Tali," she chuckled softly, "Tali would have loved it here. An excuse for dressing up to dance all night long. And Ari- he would have laughed so much with the boys- they would have loved him," somehow there were two Aris in her heart, and her brother left her long before that night at Gibbs' basement years ago.

She looked to her parents, her heart hurting in her chest and warm tears spilling down her cheeks. They looked so happy together. Just like her, right at that moment.

"Abba, you have always been and always will be my first love," Ziva sighed heavily, "you showed me how a man should treat me with gentle hands and opened arms," she smiled through a blurred vision, tears spilling down at the table surface, "the man standing on the end of that aisle is here today because of the man you had been to me."

"And Tali- she's so smart, and determined and doesn't stop running," Ziva smiled through watery eyes, "she's an extraordinary girl, I wished you could see her," the breeze whistled loudly around her, "and he is such a good father to her, like I always knew he would be."

The wind dried her tears quickly, as if the ghost of hand wiped them away.

"You once told me I would dance with a man who deserves my love," Ziva chuckled softly, smiling to the picture in her hands, "Abba, I can't wait to dance with him for the rest of my life."

Distant laughter echoed through the air, and she lifted her eyes to look at the orange sun descending at the horizon. Its light painted the constant waves in a bright gold color, quickly turning them to crystal blue as they crashed the sand. Ziva smiled fondly, wiping the tears with a tissue, looking once more to her emotional reflection in the mirror. 

She laughed to herself, the breeze caressing her cheek softly, a kiss ghostly placed at her forehead. A second later, it was gone.

A light knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," exclaimed Ziva, inhaling deeply and swallowing her remaining tears.

A little girl came running towards her, a hand stretched with a small paper note in front of her. 

"Hey, Tali, slow down," Ziva held the paper and unfolded the note carefully.

She laughed once again, her eyes twinkling with the upcoming sunset glow. A message was written in three different types of pen, the writing shaky in clear excitement.

_I just know you look stunning._  
_\- Todah._  
_Prego._

Tali pulled her veil down softly, her fingers tracing the beads at the end of it, down at her waist. Ziva bent down, kneeling on the ground and pulling Tali close. 

She pulled the veil on top of both of them, [making a cocoon around them](https://66.media.tumblr.com/76c8ebcbd745adf142e886e49899f6d4/0646d3fc88b060e7-64/s500x750/cd1f483de0014fb165bba50c0e1abdbea48d9a68.jpg). The bride rested her forehead on her daughter's, smiling in joy. Giggles echoed around them as [Tali's fingers traced the beads from the inside of the cloth](https://66.media.tumblr.com/60deac7c20f99421891e78f78faa8e28/0646d3fc88b060e7-62/s640x960/3512990d8037f4cd66247b16081c1fc0e63bc181.jpg), the thin fabric shimmering under the shining sun.

Tali lifted her brown eyes to her mother, a focused glint on them as she stopped smiling. 

She pointed to Ziva's necklace, the one she had picked for her in Cairo, then pointed to herself, wearing the Star of David Tony had given it to her years ago. 

Ziva eyed her with interest, trying to understand what she was trying to say.

Tali shook her head vigorously and started to pick her necklace chain, trying to take it off from her neck.

"What are you doing, sweety? You don't want to wear it?" asked Ziva softly, her voice muffled with the veil around them, "do you want to take it off?"

"I want you to have it," said Tali sweetly, shaking her head and pointing to Ziva's neck, "this one's prettier."

"But I already have mine," Ziva smiled fondly, "you picked it for me, remember?"

"But this is a princess one," Tali somehow managed to take it off her neck, handing it to Ziva, "you're a princess today."

Her daughter looked down at her bridal dress, the long trail spilled on the floor, its beads shining with the sunlight. Ziva's eyes watered with Tali's hand forcefully shoving the Star of David necklace to her chest with a frown. 

"I'll borrow it for today then, okay?" Ziva traded their necklaces, putting hers on Tali's neck, "and I'll give it to you back tomorrow, how does that sound?"

Tali smiled at last, nodding repeatedly, her eyes twinkling with joy. 

"Thank you, Tali," Ziva gave her a forehead kiss, "that was very kind."

She didn't wait for Ziva to pull her veil back up, she just stormed out of it running towards the door, almost tripping on someone's feet stationed right at the doorframe. 

Two knocks sounded softly at the wood, making Ziva lift her eyes and a smile to form on her lips.

Gibbs coughed slightly, his eyes watering as well as he surveyed her in a white gown and matching veil. He wore a white shirt and dark gray suit jacket, a white boutonnière made of jasmines and baby breaths matching the flowers in her hair at his lapel. 

"Oh, Ziver," his voice failed him and a rare tear spilled down his cheek, quickly wiped away by his fast hand, "you look beautiful."

Ziva smiled in joy, walking towards him to squeeze his arm slightly. He kissed her forehead, his fingers tracing the fabric of the veil she had pulled back, then squeezing her hands, looking down at the shimmering dress. 

An honest laugh escaped his throat, mixing with hers as they smiled through blurred visions. 

"Would you give my way to the altar?" she asked softly, grinning broadly. 

He chuckled softly, kissing her hands together, "of course I will. Of course I will, Ziver."

There were no words needed between father and daughter, the sunset about to begin coloring their twinkling eyes in a light pink shade. Gibbs kissed her forehead one last time before pulling the veil over her smiling face, opening a grin of his own. Ziva grabbed her bouquet placed on top of her dressing table and walked towards the balcony, the wind playing with her veil. She called Gibbs, who promptly followed her, standing right next to her a moment later. 

The bride pointed to the wooden bridge down below, the sea breeze carrying her loud laugh across the beach. A donkey was stationed at the end of if, [bright pink bougainvillea flowers adorning his ears](https://66.media.tumblr.com/b99084d350d459e6c00aff91c8c3a3ab/0646d3fc88b060e7-1a/s640x960/4c0df40737043a4553e759fd20f45aa09825f80f.jpg), along with a crown of olive leaves. Jimmy was solemnly waiting next to it to guide the way to the ceremony, already dressed in his groomsman attire. Gibbs chuckled with joy.

"Are you ready?" he asked her, holding his arm up.

She wrapped her hand around it.

"I am," she replied, smiling broadly, "I _am_ ready."


	7. The aisle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"When I saw you, I fell in love,_  
>  _And you smiled because you knew."_  
>  \- William Shakespeare

It was time.

The sun was setting, the rays of shining light piercing through the scarce soft clouds in the ever-changing sky, illuminating the horizon and everywhere around it with a golden hue. The earlier clear blue sky was now a soft mix of sunset tones, [from warm honey to rose-pink to lavender](https://66.media.tumblr.com/8fb705ffa9a180add071f0760842b51a/ddd2177ff79723c3-52/s640x960/c948caa7ba45ae6c30e7aa77f4ca41ec47883edc.jpg), creating a delicate degradé to the fading peach horizon line. Everything was changing color, the white foam of the non-stop waves now a light blue while it said goodbye to the sunlight and waited for the moon to fix the tide. The sea itself wasn't crystal blue anymore, but soft gold, the waves reflecting the going daylight over the gleaming translucent water.

The calming ocean breeze set the serene atmosphere, along with the distant singing of a flock of birds making their way towards the sun and the constant swaying of the wide olive trees and pines. The dark wooden chairs were neatly placed on the broad granite balcony, facing the sunset, color spilling everywhere. Wide rock cliffs skirted the bay while the large olive trees framed the altar, the piercing pink sunlight coloring the swaying leaves a shade of gold.

There were flowers everywhere.

[Pale garden roses, white orchids and flowering jasmine vines](https://66.media.tumblr.com/3be81c1606cce078b5a93489d79b0a0b/ddd2177ff79723c3-63/s1280x1920/cf94c24b4b3555b02ce2e9dde07f0a0547e4d554.jpg) were intertwined around the trees, the chairs and the small steps leading to the chuppah. Jasmine petals marked the aisle, their sweet aroma spreading all around, bringing a feeling of lightness, almost an impregnating dizziness to the atmosphere. [Half of the chuppah was decorated with olive tree branches and the other half was filled with pampa grass](https://66.media.tumblr.com/b9e1b3e694782b8c6af4c0269d472fc9/ddd2177ff79723c3-a1/s640x960/9ec04c909b288a5595f821c8a0acee5fdea9ea71.jpg), the contrasting tones of dark green and warm caramel going well together. They solidified the two opposite sides of the same coin, blending together with harmony. A light peach tablecloth made the chuppah's ceiling, the soft fabric gently swaying with the sea breeze.

It was a breathtaking view.

Sunset light colored every surface a warm shade of gold, turning the white petals a light hue of pink and reflecting its shine on the visible waves down below. The sound of the sea kissing the sand was serene and constant, while the sudden singing from flocks of birds passing by from time to time made the atmosphere of the patio nearly whimsical.

The guests were already seated, the different colors of their clothes with a similar golden hue, melting together under the sunset light. Women fanned themselves with similar white fans, gifted earlier by the bride, while men put away their sunglasses to enjoy the magnificent changing sky. Hebrew laughed together with Italian, the syllables flirting with each other between loud chuckles and cheers.

The constant chattering and laughing was a clear proof of the perfect blending of two families, today getting together as one.

"Oh my God, I didn't know we had invited that many people."

"Oh, common, Junior," said Senior with a smile, "they all love you very dearly. Everyone out there is family."

Father and son were under the shade of a small pergola wrapped in white jasmine vines in a corner of the balcony, one that connected the steep narrow path coming from the cliffs to the granite tiles of the aisle. They were about to make their way to the altar to wait for the arrival of the bride. Tony had his hands placed on the wooden columns of the pergola, body turned to the side, facing the waves down below. The slow wind played with his hair and the golden sun brought out the green of his eyes, now a light honey color. 

He clenched his jaw tightly and took a deep breath, adjusting the collar of his beige suit jacket and running a hand through his combed hair. He shrugged his shoulders and closed his eyes, trying to lose the growing tension in his chest. He inhaled the fresh aroma of seawater and jasmine flowers, calming his senses and clearing his mind.

Tony DiNozzo was ready.

"Junior, wait," said Senior, grabbing his shoulders with a fond smile, "there's something I need to tell you before you do this."

"What?" asked Tony with a scoff, "don't worry, it'll happen again?"

"No," Senior adjusted the [groom's boutonnière made of baby breaths and olive vines](https://66.media.tumblr.com/97ccfec7b132bdc66c34eea1963a5e8d/ddd2177ff79723c3-bc/s1280x1920/244a4e57236c4b05d11e1f280bc8074e033f86b9.jpg), a match to the bride's bouquet, and smiled knowingly, his eyes twinkling, "I'm proud of you, son."

Tony looked at him with shock, opening his mouth slightly, "you... are?"

"Of course I am, Junior," Senior gave him a quick kiss on his cheek, "it's a true gift as a parent to have one of the best people I know as a son," he patted his cheek with a smile, "despite all my mistakes, Junior, you grew out to be a great man. One of the best."

Tony had never once in his life heard such words from his dad. He had never even thought of it as possible.

Miracles indeed happened in this place.

"Wow," he said through a blurred vision, a warmth spreading in his chest, "wow, thank you, dad."

Father and son shared a tight hug, hearts beating in sync, filled with pride, while the slow wind tousled their hair.

"Thank you," whispered Tony, eyes watery.

"The years I've waited for you to sweep that girl off her feet is no joke, Junior," they both laughed loudly, "let's do this, uh?"

As Tony surveyed the balcony, his heart started beating fast. The golden sun kissed his skin, making his green eyes shine with excitement. He inhaled the fresh aroma of jasmines and looked towards the sun, a thunderous beat inside his chest. The groom nodded once, clasping his hands together before looking to his father at his side.

"I wish mum was here."

Senior looked to the golden sun descending the horizon, a laugh escaping his lips as light spilled all around them.

"She is," he replied.

Tony nodded through a blurred vision but managed to keep the tears from falling with a clenched jaw. He held out his hand to his father, who took it with a smile. The guests turned to see his entrance, eager to begin the ceremony, chattering among themselves.

"My hands are sweaty," said Tony as he took his first steps towards the altar, a nervous glint in his eyes.

"Just relax, Junior," Senior patted his arm with a smile, "you already have the girl, nothing else matters."

Father and son walked hand in hand across the path of jasmine petals, the sun smiling from above, shining as bright as ever. The guests chuckled fondly and clapped excitedly, some screaming advice to him in Hebrew, and some cheering for him in Italian. He heard a few yelling "Opah!" here and there, the roar of glees muffling the sound of the constant waves down below.

The sunset wind caressed Tony's cheek one last time before leaving to help the birds find their way, carrying her laughter to the still hidden stars. 

This time he noticed it.

He began to smile as well.

As they arrived at the decorated chuppah, Senior let go of Tony's hand and kissed his cheek softly, patting his face once before stepping away. Tony inhaled deeply as he positioned himself at the side ornated with olive tree branches, turning to look once at the aisle covered in jasmine petals before clenching his jaw to fight back threatening tears. His heart was a strong horse gallop, the beating roaring at his ears against his labored breath. As the sun descended the horizon, the warmth in his chest spread to his shaking fingers, which he clasped together, trying to stop the trembling. 

"How are you feeling, Anthony?" asked Ducky, the wedding script in his hands as he waited patiently at the middle of the altar to initiate the ceremony.

He looked more English than ever, if that was even possible, with his dark gray waistcoat and maroon bow tie, along with black suit jacket and a pocket watch. A fond smile adorned his lips and his eyes twinkled under the daylight. When Ziva called him asking if he could initiate the wedding, he was so happy he had to stop his studies and make a new cup of tea to calm his heart. It was as if he was called to bring a miracle to life, he just couldn't believe they were finally getting together.

 _It would be my honor_ , he replied.

"Honestly?" asked Tony, rubbing his sweaty hands on the side of his trousers, "like I'm going to faint but at the same time I can't because I need to pay attention to everything," Ducky smiled knowingly, "like this is one of the most important moments of my life."

"It probably is, kid," Ducky patted his back and smiled, the sun warming his cheeks, "just have fun, uh? And look around you, there's joy everywhere."

Tony nodded slowly and changed his stance nervously, turning himself to look at the guests. They all were chattering loudly, some smiling to him as if to comfort an anxious groom, which he appreciated. Some were pointing to the colorful sea, the waves dancing under the golden sun. Ducky was right, they were all happy. They were all laughing loudly and excited to be here.

His eyes landed on the first row of chairs.

They were decorated differently, with rose vines and white pale lilies wrapped all around them, along with tiny fairy lights. A piece of peach fabric softly swaying in the wind was placed on top of the seats, which no guest was occupying. A sign was hanging across the row, the hand lettering simple but elegant. Tony's breath caught in his throat.

_In loving memory_

On top of each seat was a white rose, next to a photograph of a loved one. 

The groom descended the steps of the altar slowly, his chest hurting and his jaw clenched with the effort of stop tears from falling. On the side of the seat next to the aisle was another sign, softly swaying in the wind. His trembling fingers traced its message and his vision blurred as his heart tightened in his chest, the guests looking at him expectantly.

_**They walk beside us**  
We think about you always,  
We talk about you still,  
You have never been forgotten,  
And you never will.  
We hold you close within our hearts,  
And there you will remain,  
To walk and guide us through our lives,  
Until we meet again._

As Tony grabbed the first photograph, a warm tear fell down his cheek against his will.

His mother was smiling widely from the swing of his summer house backyard, one hand holding her hat in place and the other one firmly grabbing the swing rope. The afternoon sun lightened her broad smile, making her blond hair shine while the picture captured it perfectly swaying midair with the summer wind. He had never seen her so happy, it was one of his favorite picture of her.

He had taken that one when he was a child, her words guiding him how to do it.

Silent warm tears traced his cheeks as he stood still with her photograph in hand.

Ziva had asked him for one of her weeks ago, but he had forgotten with time and stopped trying to figure out what it was for. He thought it was for a gift, or a prank or Tali's homework, not this.

Never this.

Tony had never felt so loved as he did now.

His eyes shifted to the next chair, and he felt the need to kneel on the ground with the sudden lack of strength.

A woman was covering her eyes from the sun, a playful smile on her lips as she looked up to the camera, squatting next to familiar yellow tape skirting a crime scene. She wore latex gloves and an NCIS cap, the wind playing with her hair under the hat. Tony had also taken that picture, years ago.

Kate Todd, her pure smile immortalized under the afternoon sun of Washington, DC.

His heart hurt and this time he had to grab the arm of one of the chairs to stabilize himself, or his knees _would_ give in. Tony looked at the next picture, his lips trembling and jaw clenched.

Jenny Sheppard, her arms opened to her sides while she smirked in front of a mountain hut, her ginger hair glowing under the winter sun. She once had told the team Gibbs had taken this picture in Serbia when they were partners. Happiness filled her eyes and spilled all around her, a mischievous glint never leaving them, as always. She looked just as sharp-witted as he remembered. 

Paula Cassidy, with arms crossed and a proud smile, next to her NCIS team also hugging each other proudly long before they all had turned to dust. 

Brent Langer and Michelle Lee, his feet propelled on top of Tony's desk and her lips opened wide from where she sat on top of it. They wore the field attire of NCIS, an excited glint in their eyes as the picture was probably taken on their first day of work when Tony was still stationed as Agent Afloat. There was no trace of concern in their faces.

Eli David smiling to a little girl spinning around herself with a flowing dress, her hand linked to her father's. Her brown hair floated around her mid-spin, her eyes looking up to him and a big smile on her lips. Ziva looked _exactly_ like Tali. Tony could almost hear the same giggles.

Rivka David, with arms wrapped around the shoulders of a naughty looking young man and a little girl proudly showing her gap-toothed smile to the camera. Ari and Tali David, their joyful faces matching their mother's smile, one similar to Ziva's. They all had bright brown eyes and looked very young and happy.

His knees did give in. 

Tony's mouth had opened slightly when he held the picture of an old man in front of a wooden boat, with a big fish raised proudly up in the air, its mouth still strangled by the fish hook. He was wearing sunglasses under the Mexican sun, but the big smile on his lips was indistinguishable. Mike Franks, his face turned to his new prize, his other hand pointing to it proudly as he smiled with the joy of a very successful man. 

Tony felt a hand gently gripping his shoulder, and suddenly he was brought back to where he was, raising his eyes to the descending golden sun in the sky. The fresh scent of jasmines quickly dominated his senses and the groom stood up, wiping the still falling tears. He realized a lot of guests were now crying as well, probably watching his reaction to it all.

"Junior, come," said Senior gently, a sad look in his eyes, "you would regret greatly missing her entering," Tony looked at him with still wide eyes and closed his mouth quickly.

"Yes," he nodded slowly, putting the picture of his mother once again at the chair, "yes, you're right."

He got back to his place after nodding gratefully to his father, who only smiled in return knowingly. Tony surveyed the guests who had returned to chat among themselves to wait for the arrival of the bride and breathed deeply, closing his eyes. He could feel the warm sun kissing his closed eyelids, and the wind whistling strongly in his ears. He could feel the sweet impregnating smell of flowers and he could his stance changing nervously as he clenched his hands together to stop their trembling. He could feel the warmth in his chest spreading through his body and he could see her arriving in white. He smiled. His heart was racing as if he just ran a marathon, as if he had just climbed mountains and crossed rivers to arrive at this moment. In a way, he had. _They_ had.

He opened his green eyes in an instant.

He could hear music. 

Tony's smile grew as his heart was about to explode.

It was time.

°°°

"Victoria! Stop fidgeting with your flower crown, or else you'll enter without it," exclaimed Breena as she ran to her daughter's side, to take her little hands off her blond hair, who only looked up to her mother with a frown and stomped her feet.

"RINGS, WHERE ARE THE BLOODY RINGS?" yelled Abby to Jimmy who just spun around himself with hands raised to his hair just like his daughter, not knowing where to start looking.

"Here, Abby," said McGee calmly, as he handed her a small wooden box with white flowers on its top, the glass shinning lightly under the afternoon sun, "Johnny will take them."

"Oh, McGee," she kissed his cheek returning to her normal self, as if she didn't yell at the world seconds before, "thank you. All these little _yous_ running around got me dizzy."

"Don't get me started," Jimmy replied from where he was kneeling on the floor, fixing Johnny's little maroon bow tie, "thank god you're the one with the checking list, Abby, or else we would still be at the beach by now."

She cast her big familiar smile at him, who returned it with excitement. Abby looked around her, counting heads and crossing things at her list, muttering to herself. McGee smiled as well, his heart beating fast only with the thought of this happening. Tony and Ziva. Getting married. After years of knowing them, his best friends were finally getting married. His face lit up.

They were getting ready at a small wooden cabin which led to the garden pergola and then the aisle and altar facing the sea. The golden rays of sunshine pricked through the closed wood blinders, illuminating floating flocks of dust and making their clothes shimmer when daylight touched the glimmering fabrics. The team had accompanied a grinning bride on top of a gentle donkey up the hill, laughter filling the air as they hummed and singed loudly out of tune, the pink sun guiding their feet through the path decorated with fairy lights and the waves pushing them forward. Now Ziva was at an adjacent room with Gibbs and Jack, muttering her vows to herself with trembling hands as Sloane fixed her veil in place and arranged the flowers of her bouquet. 

"No, stop it," said Nick under his breath as Kasie pushed him to one side of the room.

"Nick, just go," she whispered in a dangerous tone, her glowing dark skin beautiful under the orange sun, "you go, _now_."

"No, I can't," he shook his head vigorously, crossing his arms and planting his feet on the ground, "I just can't."

"Yes, you can," she tried to push him again, but he was too heavy and didn't move an inch, "you need to solve this before the wedding," she grunted with a frown.

"We won't need to speak, we'll just enter together," he replied, but his eyes were now fixed on a blond woman laughing with Victoria as they both spun around themselves, dresses shining under the escaping rays of sunshine. 

"I won't tolerate this wrongness any longer," she circled him and stared at Nick with crossed arms, mirroring the agent, "Kasie Hines only operates with good vibes from now on, and this is a truly _very_ aesthetic place and I won't let you two angsty pining lovebirds ruin it."

Nick looked at her strangely, considering her words with narrowing eyes.

"I don't care anymore," she opened a dangerous smile, "I'm gonna ask her instead."

Kasie was halfway to Ellie when Nick grabbed her arm and spun her around, a worried look in his eyes, "no. No, let me do it," he scoffed, adjusting his suspenders and running a hand through his combed hair, "how do I look?" he asked with hesitant eyes.

"Just like Romeo, now _go_ ," she pushed him one last time, make him stumble towards Ellie's direction, who only raised her eyes and crossed her arms.

His cheeks got warm in an instant and he wasn't certain where to put his hands as Ellie's shifted only slightly to face him and a ray of golden sunshine laid on her side, making her honey eyes shine and champagne-colored dress glimmer with the movement. His breath caught and no word came out. Again. 

Ellie squinted her eyes, but couldn't help to let them wander over Nick's attire, who looked more handsome than ever with rolled-up sleeves and dark blue suspenders. The white shirt showed off his broad torso and the sun made his olive skin glow with a golden hue, his dark brown eyes now a chestnut color with the sunset light. She coughed lightly, clearing her throat, but waited for him to speak and kept her stance determined, eyes not showing the warmth she felt inside.

He had noticed her cheeks blushing lightly, though.

Nick took a slow step towards her, putting his hands in his pockets and cracking a side smirk on his lips, his posture suddenly changing to one pouring with pride. Ellie stood very still, the particles of dust floating around her and her silhouette shaped with sunlight. She did not seem to be breathing. 

"Bishop," her name danced on his tongue, the syllables dragged by his deep voice, "what's your opinion about weddings?" Nick asked with a smirk. 

She could feel her ears getting warmer, but kept her eyes distant and unyielding, "why do you ask?" her voice sounded strangled so she cleared her throat again softly.

"You do know... what we are doing here, right?" Nick stepped closer and closer to her, entering her personal space without shame.

"We are... attending _our friends'_ wedding," she replied with emphasis on her words. Nick was now a breath away and Ellie had to lift her eyes to look at him.

Nick raised his hand and his fingers traced the flowers on her crown distractedly, his eyes roaming over her blonde hair shining under the daylight, "you have plans of your own, agent Bishop?"

Ellie was certain now she wasn't breathing, her eyes locked in his, Nick's warmth too close to her skin, "what do you mean by that, agent Torres?" she breathed out huskily.

His hand stopped midair and Nick's eyes turned to her honey-colored ones as if he had just noticed what his fingers were doing. Ellie licked her lips against her self control and brown eyes traced her every movement. They were too close to back away now, the air was heavy and the atmosphere changed with a blink, golden sunlight pushing the unrequited lovers closer together, not at all soft and light like it was moments ago. 

Nick's fingers put a loose strand of her hair behind Ellie's ear.

"Do you have any dreams, Bishop?" his words caressed her skin, making her lips tingle and bringing butterflies to her stomach. Images of him laughing with her, teasing her during long nights at the base and afternoons on complex crime scenes, making everything lighter with a joke filled her mind. Of Nick smiling softly while hypnotized as he heard her name. Of Nick protecting her without hesitation and jumping in front of her to block a car and ending up at the hospital for days. Her knowledge he would do it all again without a blink. 

Ellie's voice died in her throat.

She used to scoff at people's definition of love, saying it was improbable and imaginative, going on with her daily life certain it would never happen to her. She would never want to fall in love again, not after everything that had passed, not after Jake. Not after Qasim. She was no longer sad, but resolute. She was happy for other people being in love, and she was happy with her definition of love. Self-love. Love for life, not fairytale love. Not make-believe. 

Her heart had betrayed her.

Nick's eyes look straight to hers and he understood. He somehow understood what she was feeling. He saw beyond the fear, beyond the doubt, beyond the hurt. 

It was as if they hadn't seen each other until this moment. This was the first time they _both_ understood.

Honey eyes blinked once but brown eyes didn't.

There it was.

The beginning of something great.

Space and time stopped for a second to welcome the new lovers finally seeing each other.

Paradise was here.

"ELLIE, NICK," yelled Jack from where she stood, next to Ziva and Gibbs just at the front door of the cabin, her face alarmed but with a smile, "COMMON, THE SUN IS SETTING."

Nick closed his eyes with a side smirk, sighing deeply. When he opened them again, surprised honey ones were still staring at him.

"COMING," he replied, taking a step back and looking to his feet. He cracked a secretive smile.

Nick raised his arm to a stunned Ellie, who didn't move at all, "shall we?"

Her hand shot up to his forearm, but her eyes were still confused, "Yeah, yeah, sure," she muttered.

He put his other hand on top of hers which was wrapped around his arm. 

"You look beautiful, Ellie Bishop," he whispered only to her, kissing her temple once and guiding them with steady steps to the door of the cabin.

She turned to him, eyes studying his smiling profile framed by the golden rays of the sun, "you don't look bad yourself, Nick Torres."

He smiled to the sun, excited eyes looking straight ahead when Abby opened the doors and daylight poured in, "I knew you wouldn't resist this," he said with a laugh, gesturing to himself.

Ellie just rolled her eyes and let him guided them to the aisle outside.

"Are you okay, Ziva?" asked Jack gently, a hand on the bride's trembling one holding a [bouquet of pale garden roses and green olive leaves, baby breaths within pampa grass and jasmine vines](https://66.media.tumblr.com/a0dbdfafd0ea1a9dbc8034003d59a1bf/577e86abae9df654-bf/s640x960/e29639c063b86278f9c08da67f0458890623b223.jpg), "you seem a bit shaken."

Ziva looked at her with watery eyes, her vision blurred and heart tight, "I can't believe this is actually happening," she said through a trembling smile, a few tears tracing her cheeks against her will.

"Oh, Ziva," Jack held her shoulders and squeezed them tightly, "it _is_ real. And we couldn't be happier for you," she smiled softly.

"I just- I dreamed about this for so long, so long," Ziva wiped her tears quickly, taking a shaky breath, "the days I've spent alone, scared, they're gone, uh? They're gone for good now." 

"Yes," Gibbs kissed her temple lightly, "yes, they're over, kiddo." 

Abby opened up the cabin door leading to the path outside, warm sunlight pouring all around them and warming their skin. Ziva inhaled deeply, the smell of fresh flowers and a bright future ahead of her calming her nerves. She looked at Jack and nodded gratefully, who just smiled in return and stepped away to get to her place. The bride tightened her grip on the bouquet, trying not to shake too much. Her heart was racing in her chest, the thundering loud on her ears. 

With closed eyes, she opened a carefree smile.

The band started to play for the bridesmaids and groomsmen make their way to the altar, the music filling the patio and reverberating against her pounding heart. A woman started to sing, her voice clear strong, but ethereal at the same time.

Ziva opened up her eyes.

She could feel how important this moment was for her. How this was a memory she would treasure forever. 

An **old** love story with a **new** beginning. 

She wanted to cry with joy.

Only when Gibbs laid his hand to her arm did she realize she was clenching the Star of David she had **borrowed** from Tali to wear, an old habit returning without much thought. Ziva linked her arm in his, her smile now permanent on her lips.

"I've waited so long for this."

"I think that man waiting ahead agrees," he replied with a knowing smirk. 

A soft laugh escaped her lips and the bride turned to face her future. 

She could glimpse the waves down below at the corner of her eye, the crystal **blue** now very familiar. Her paradise.

They stepped into the sunlight.

It was time.

°°°

The sky was extraordinary, with cotton candy clouds scattered between light tones of lilac and pink, along with splashes of white sunlight coming from the golden sun, positioned exactly where the sky met the sea. Bluebirds and great kiskadee sang its lover's song, their melody muffled by the ocean wind. Everywhere was golden and shone under the sunset light, with the sweet scent of jasmines and roses filling the atmosphere. The olive trees and the chuppah makeshift ceiling swayed gently with the breeze, while all the guests quietly admired the beautiful surroundings. 

It was a true fairytale. 

Tony's heart had never beaten that fast, the thundering rhythm exploding in his ears. His chest was warm and his hands were trembling, his veins filled with adrenaline and joy. He kept smiling, again and again, changing the weight on his feet while fidgeting with his mother's cufflinks. His eyes were fixed at the garden pergola wrapped in rose vines, where his bride would finally greet him.

He had never felt this excited in his life.

The clear notes of an acoustic guitar filled the patio, where a moment later all the guests stood up once the singer started her song. Excited smiles were present in every single face, some children stretching their necks to see the grand entrance everyone was waiting for.

_Wise men say_

McGee appeared from the cabin, arm linked with a smiling goth today dressed in champagne color, though a bright red lipstick adorned her lips. Abby's smile couldn't be any bigger, an excited nod coming from her as she met Tony's eyes. She was clenching McGee's arm with vigor, practically pulling him forward towards the altar. 

_Only fools rush in_

Jimmy entered with Kasie, both of them smiling as well as they crossed the path laid with jasmine petals towards the groom. Kasie waved her small bouquet of white roses and olive leaves to his direction, and Jimmy smiled fondly and guided them down the aisle.

_But I can't help_

Ellie was beaming, her blond hair adorned with the bridesmaids' flower crown, a chuckle escaping her lips now and then when Nick whispered something in her ear and smiled back to Tony. They crossed the aisle together, their hearts and smiles in sync, only separating once they got to the altar, where Ellie went to the side of the chuppah decorated with pampa grass and Nick followed Jimmy and McGee to stand next to Tony on the side of olive leaves.

_Falling in love with you_

Jack entered with Vance on her side, smiling openly and distractedly admiring the colorful sky midway to the altar. She wasn't wearing the [champagne-colored dress the bridesmaids](https://66.media.tumblr.com/b0c3dc11032522fdf8841d0411054732/577e86abae9df654-b6/s500x750/f650e57599ee2294f18077cf0e0bf32e1898c264.jpg) were sporting, but a [shining silver one ending just below her knee](https://66.media.tumblr.com/1b3110c04c448912f6b5c4c676f0ec3f/577e86abae9df654-d0/s500x750/21b06549871963d261f874d23a8434d008517a5f.jpg). Tony couldn't help but smile when he noticed she was matching with Gibbs' dark gray suit, realizing that she still hadn't thought about it herself. Vance greeted him with a raise of his chin once they got to the altar, guiding Jack to sit down next to Senior on the second row.

_Shall I stay_

A little boy came running a bit too fast from the cabin but slowed down once his mother stopped him by grabbing his [maroon suspenders.](https://66.media.tumblr.com/20a7b8ddf338122e803f72e139075c07/577e86abae9df654-f1/s640x960/ab9824aa64fc44ffb726ac5b1373bd2d3743ee9e.jpg) Johnny was carrying a [small wooden box](https://66.media.tumblr.com/251cb010c435f67f77e4155e524bf51c/577e86abae9df654-5c/s1280x1920/afa386e6513b385638f9727e74b03d805c40e3a6.jpg) with both his hands, looking strangely put together in his formal attire. The rays of sunshine reflected on the glass top of the box, a pair of rings safely guarded inside.

_Would it be a sin_

Delilah's wheelchair was decorated with olive vines and baby breaths, her lips opened in a big smile as she slowly made her way to the altar. From time to time, she muttered something to her agitated son walking ahead, probably to slow him down. 

_If I can't help_

Two young girls carried a sign, walking hand in hand. In an elegant hand-lettering a message was written, Victoria and Morgan proudly presenting it to Tony as they took small but determined steps crossing the aisle. Victoria stopped once to grab a few flower petals from the ground, but Breena gently nudged her forward. They wore [cute little dresses similar to Tali](https://66.media.tumblr.com/68fda452e729c300ac68d60f77a1cb5d/577e86abae9df654-44/s1280x1920/a357c2922633b773c7ba2e75a9299aa6d0a8690e.jpg), and Tony couldn't believe they were his best friends' daughters, just like the thought of his own daughter was something that stopped his heart from time to time. His eyes started to water against his will once he read the sign.

**Happily ever after starts here.**

_Falling in love with you_

"She looks beautiful," mouthed Breena to him, followed by a smile as she guided the children to the right path, her bridesmaid dress shimmering like the others under the golden sunlight. Tony wasn't sure if she was referring to his bride or the little girl who had just appeared at the back of the pergola.

_Like a river flows_

Tali walked slowly towards him, her eyes fixed on the little basket of flowers in her hand, completely focused on doing the task of a flower girl right. Her light curls swayed with the wind, her hand shotting once to her forehead to adjust a falling flower crown as she looked down with a concentrated frown to gently throw the petals as she made her way.

_Surely to the sea_

Her eyes lifted once she realized the world around her got bigger, the guests cheering as she walked down the aisle, and landed on a groom looking at her with the biggest grin of all, his hand stretched towards her as he got down to her level. Tali didn't need more encouragement as she threw the rest of her flowers quickly on the remaining path, running to his arms and receiving loud laughter from the guests in return.

_Darling so it goes_

"McBest Man," said Tony with Tali in his arms, who somehow calmed his arms and stopped its shaking, "will you please wake me up fast if I faint?" his eyes turned to his friend standing by his side, "I feel like I'm dreaming."

McGee smiled softly and patted his shoulder, gesturing with his chin to the aisle, "just wait till you see her, Tony."

_Some things_

Tony kissed Tali's hair once and gently put her down at the ground, his daughter quickly darting towards Victoria and Morgan giggling at the side of the bridesmaids. He inhaled once deeply, his lips trembling with emotion as he closed his eyes to stop the traitorous tears from falling, the sunlight kissing his eyelids. He smelled the scent of roses and he felt the heat of destiny, finally fulfilling his wildest dreams all in one go.

_Are meant to be_

The world slowed down. 

Tony opened up his eyes.

The band stopped playing. 

_So take my hand_

The birds stopped singing. 

The waves stopped crashing.

His heart stopped beating. 

_Take my whole life too_

His knees buckled and Tony stopped breathing altogether, using all his strength not to fall.

Ziva looked divine, her figure covered in sunlight and her big wide smile visible under the shimmering fabric of her veil.

Her dress swayed with her every movement, the [sunset reflecting on its beads](https://66.media.tumblr.com/5d0241f3e48fbb08a7f8aca4388f6405/577e86abae9df654-bf/s1280x1920/aedb3e13ee6a4c1a2ab4a92f0f2f4443d2415c37.jpg) and making her shine even more. She crossed the [petals' path slowly but steadily, arm linked with Gibbs'](https://66.media.tumblr.com/1150302dad55a9f72680e30521f13ba9/577e86abae9df654-62/s640x960/e313412698f4027e3de768063dd1705ea13a646b.jpg), who was smiling broadly as well. She looked stunning with olive leaves and baby breaths adorning her low hair bun and matching flowers wrapped around the bouquet in her hand. 

Tony just wanted to run towards her and kiss her, kiss her without thinking, cherish her, love her for the whole world to see.

With a blink, he felt warm tears already tracing his cheeks, his heart exploding with joy. He noticed that Ziva was crying with him, her smile broad and beautiful.

_For I can't help_  
_Falling in love with you_

His silhouette was framed by the sunset light pouring from behind the altar, and Ziva felt she was made of love she felt towards this man. All her body was made of joy.

She gripped Gibbs' arm tightly, who didn't let go and held her back, guiding her trembling steps across the aisle. Her heart was beating so fast she could feel it on her fingertips, the warmth on her chest spreading all over her body as she couldn't stop smiling. Tony was crying through labored breaths, his face a bit red but with a wide-opened smile. McGee squeezed his shoulders and he wiped the falling tears away with the back of his hand. 

Tali was hiding behind his body, her hand gently pulling his trousers demanding attention, "please don't cry, Daddy," she said softly.

_For I can't help_  
_Falling in love with you_

There wasn't a dry eye at that patio as the bride arrived in front of him, the last notes of the song reverberating all around and ringing true to his soul.

Tony let out a raw laugh and he couldn't believe his eyes when she stopped at his side.

Ziva returned his excited laugh without thinking, her eyes never leaving his.

The sun smiled from the horizon and quickly disappeared under the sea, saying goodbye to newfound lovers as its mission was accomplished at last.

Ziva let Ellie take her bouquet away and Gibbs stepped back letting her arm go but squeezing her hand reassuringly. He turned to her and gently pulled Ziva's veil back, the soft breeze kissing her wet cheeks. Gibbs wiped her tears without saying a word, pressing her chin once before turning to face Ducky at the altar.

"Marriage is in itself a blessing. But doubly blessed is the couple who comes to the marriage altar with the approval and love of their families and friends," said Doctor Mallard with a fond smile to the emotional bride and groom, "who has the honor of presenting this woman to be married to this man?" he asked solemnly.

"On behalf of her loving family and friends, I do," Gibbs replied with a slight nod and a smirk, receiving a smile back from his old friend.

He kissed her cheek softly and let go of her hand. Then he pulled Tony in a tight embrace, hand patting the back of his head and making him laugh.

"Take care of her, DiNozzo," Gibbs said with a smile.

"On it, boss," he replied.


	8. The vows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *this was deeply inspired by songs and poetry, all credits to the artists.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“I feel like a part of my soul has loved you  
>  Since the beginning of everything.  
> Maybe we’re from the same star.”_  
> \- Emery Allen

The sky was [cotton candy pink](https://66.media.tumblr.com/126f4f24709bc107c556aa20310e6f75/a7cc0b355be2037b-e2/s1280x1920/70ef362b2875c0540d6a9b7c927e8d473bbbc7ee.jpg).

As the golden sun disappeared into the lilac horizon, Ducky asked the bride and groom to walk with him to the ketubah signing ceremony, which would take place in a nearby gazebo matching the aisle and chuppah decorations, with [scented white jasmines and pale garden roses wrapped all around its columns.](https://66.media.tumblr.com/49357698def76e8f411f80cac3151aea/a7cc0b355be2037b-0e/s1280x1920/dd5051ec1af722dc6092f38a3646b8573378a25c.jpg)

They were both shaking but Tony held Ziva's hand and squeezed it, casting her a reassuring smile. Gibbs helped her with the trail, following them as one of the witnesses to the 'ceremony before the ceremony', along with a beaming father of the groom. They descended the steps of the altar and walked towards the gazebo, where a stone table was placed for the signing of the document that would bide them together. The guests watched the scene unfold, but soon let the bride and groom have a moment of privacy under the flower-decorated gazebo, sitting down and waiting for the real ceremony to begin.

The universe was clothed in light.

It was time.

"Jimmy?" asked Breena, resting her chin on his shoulder as she looked towards the couple signing the papers with trembling hands and glorious smiles.

"Hmm, dear?" he rested the side of his face on top of her hair, smiling as well.

Breena turned her face to look at his smiling profile, studying his features, "let's get married."

"We're already married, Breena," Jimmy chuckled, turning his body towards her and kissing her forehead with a finger on her chin.

"So let's do it again," she replied, eyes fixing on his as she chuckled as well.

Jimmy pulled her into a hug, resting his chin on her head and kissing her hair once, "we can do it how many times you like."

They looked at Victoria, who was now picking the bunch of flowers from the aisle and throwing them up, along with Tali and Morgan, who were doing the same thing then spinning around themselves. Their cream-colored dresses swayed with the sea breeze as jasmine petals fell around the girls, their giggles mixing as they adjusted the falling flower crowns on their heads. 

"Are that tears I'm seeing?" asked Delilah, combing Johnny's hair who was now sitting on her lap, eyes fixed attentively to a butterfly which was circling nearby.

"No," replied McGee, clearly crying, his face red as he wiped the falling tears off his cheeks, "no, it's just the seawater. I have allergies."

"You're allergic _to the ocean_?" Delilah couldn't help but smile fondly at how sensitive her husband was, "come here, don't be sad."

He bent down and she gave her a quick kiss on the lips, one hand cupping his cheek and caressing his cheekbone.

"I'm not sad," McGee squatted down to her level, watching Johnny try to catch the butterfly, "it's just... They're my best friends. They were in love since I met them, and that was long ago. They were supposed to be together for years."

"Sometimes the path to happily ever after is harsh, Tim," she combed his hair just like she had done with her son, "sometimes it isn't straight like our was. Sometimes it is a riverbend and sometimes it is a waterfall. Sometimes it is a typhoon. I know it's hard, but don't be bitter. I think they would do it all again and again if it would lead them here." 

He nodded and quickly returned the peck on her lips, "you're right. They are both so stubborn," they shared a laugh, "I wrote a bestseller about them and all they did was pin me, not each other."

"I think they did that too, in their own way," she smiled. Johnny was looking at the butterfly slowly opening and closing its wings on his fingers, eyes wide and proud.

"They couldn't stop bickering," said McGee with a smile, his eyes distant as if remembering all the times that had happened right in front of him.

"Love takes angry things, violent things, and makes them kind," she replied with a smile. McGee started studying her, as if he was falling deeper in love with her himself, "be happy for them, Tim."

He just nodded and cast her a shy smile, right before kissing Delilah on the lips and lifting Johnny from her lap, raising him to his arms to watch closer the smart butterfly which had escaped his fingers.

"You ever think of marrying again, Jack?" asked Vance in a rare moment of reflection, his eyes longing towards the fathers of the bride and groom signing the ketubah.

Sloane looks at him with interest, surprised for the moment of vulnerability, "I'm not closing any doors, Director," she then looked to the man in a dark gray suit next to Ziva, his silver hair with a golden hue under the pink sky, "I think if the right person comes along, magic may happen."

Vance followed her eyes, landing on Gibbs. He laughed softly, nodding to himself, "are you talking about Agent Gibbs, Jack?"

"No, no, I'm not," she tried to laugh it off but he had caught her with a knowing smirk, "all I'm saying is that love is strange. It surprises you most of the time. You just need to let it flow its course."

"He's different, you know?" he replied with a side smirk, "he's different with you. Gibbs is a man with many qualities, but opening up easily is not one of them," he took out a toothpick off his inner pocket and put it in his mouth, "it was different with you. Sometimes I wonder what you did to make him crack."

"I did nothing," she laughed, eyes still fixed on the smiling father of the bride, "I just never left." 

"Sometimes that's enough," Leon had taken a photograph out of his inner pocket. One of his long-gone wife smiling next to his kids when they were children. He looked at her for a couple of seconds, kissed it and then put it back in his pocket, where it belonged.

"The people we love never truly leave us," Jack squeezed his hand with a soft smile, "just because I'm here now doesn't mean he loves Shanon and Kelly any less," Gibbs had found her in the crowd and his eyes landed on her for a few seconds, his face unreadable as always, "love just grows, Leon. Not even the poets have figured it out how much the heart can hold."

He nodded gratefully, cracking a smile to the new couple clearly in love in the gazebo nearby, "make sure your wedding is in a place like this, Jacqueline Sloane."

She laughed, her cheeks growing red with the thought, "I wouldn't be surprised if he just decides to elope," Gibbs now studied her with interest, his hands in his pockets. A moment later he just chuckled to the pink sky, as if figuring out what they were talking about. Perhaps she was right, he seemed like a guy who would drop everything to elope.

"I personally think weddings are overrated," said Kasie to Abby and Ellie, who just looked at her with a frown. They were bridesmaids after all. "I'm just saying, it's all beautiful, but if a prince just appeared in front of me in a white stallion horse, I would probably pay more attention to the horse."

"You're right, I'd probably steal the horse," Abby nodded in agreement, "and leave no prints," she added with a proud smirk.

"Yeah, yeah, love is all around us, but how long would you take to name yourself if I asked you to name all the things you love?" Kasie said unapologetically, receiving a high five from Abbs and a 'you go, girl'.

"Yeah, completely agree," added Ellie entirely distracted, her eyes studying Nick talking to Jimmy about something incredibly funny on the other side of the altar.

"Mh-hmm," nodded Abby with a smile, just as Kasie said 'Yeah, right.'

Ellie just continued to study him absent-mindedly, picking the flowers of her bouquet without thinking as she narrowed her eyes when Nick adjusted his rolled-up sleeves. Damn, he looked good.

"Should I tell her or should you?" asked Abby with a knowing smile towards Kasie, who rolled her eyes in return.

"I've been dropping hints for years now, people are fully blind on that navy yard," she replied with a scoff.

"We should get drinks together sometime," Abbs nodded to her with a smile, "how long do you give till it happens?"

"Worst guess, a month or two," said Kasie studying the two agents practically flirting silently with each across a _wedding altar_ , "best guess, maybe tonight."

"Deal. Drinks are on me," Abby replied, her smile growing as she noticed the bride and groom returning to the altar, walking hand in hand behind Ducky carrying the wedding script.

It was time.

°°°

"Please be seated," said Ducky to the guests as he arrived at the altar after the ketubah ceremony, "bride and groom," he called with a smile, "please face each other and hold hands."

Gibbs made his way to sit next to Jack, casting her an amusing look.

"...what?" She asked, not being able to contain her growing smile.

He kissed her temple, "elope, uh?" Gibbs replied with a side smirk, "not a bad idea."

Jack just blushed profusely and looked towards the couple in front of them, a smile opening in her lips. She felt a familiar hand grabbing hers and squeezing it softly, invisible to the other guests. She glanced at him, grateful for the intimacy, only to see Gibbs was already looking at her. 

A smile was now permanent on Tony's lips. His eyes couldn't get enough of Ziva in front of him, her dress shimmering under the remaining daylight and fairy lights wrapped around them, on the stairs leading to the altar and on the [many chairs where excited guests were seated, divided by the aisle filled with flower petals](https://66.media.tumblr.com/3a9d56e112f47dd3a350dec1f6d9d22f/a7cc0b355be2037b-fc/s1280x1920/45be534a952bf059b2199351f73423e31be3ee64.jpg). She was beaming, her eyes twinkling with affection, and she was stunning. Tony grabbed her hands and raised each open palm to his lips, kissing them lightly before letting the ceremony begin. His eyes sparkled in joy as well, and he gave Ziva a wink, making her laugh loudly before Ducky started to speak.

"Family and friends of Tony and Ziva," Ducky smiled to the guests then patted Tony in the shoulder, make him chuckle in disbelief, "I’d like to begin by welcoming everyone and thanking every one of you for being here on this happiest of days. It’s no accident that each of you is here today, and each of you was invited to be here because you represent someone important in the individual and collective lives of the bride and groom."

"I truly can’t think of a better venue than paradise in this Greek island for an occasion that I know is not only monumental for the wedded-couple-to-be but for all of us who are lucky to know and love them as individuals; but even more so as a perfect pairing," the guests were all looking around them, the ever-changing sky now giving space to light stars taking their places, "the Greek believe the sea is the element of love, as Aphrodite emerged from the water, so there is no better fitting place than overlooking the ocean waves crashing the Greek shore to witness this beautiful reunion."

"This is the day Tony and Ziva marry the person they love most in the world, the one they will laugh with, live for and love more for the rest of their lives," he added, and Abby was already crying, her hands quickly wiping the tears away as Kasie hugged her from the side.

"The chuppah under which Tony and Ziva stand is the traditional structure used in a Jewish wedding ceremony. As the open sides of a chuppah symbolize hospitality, the chuppah in this ceremony invites you to feel welcome, for this is the day of all days they want to share with you," Ducky motioned to the arch around them, "as you can see, the couple decided to [decorate it differently on each side](https://66.media.tumblr.com/b9e1b3e694782b8c6af4c0269d472fc9/ddd2177ff79723c3-a1/s640x960/9ec04c909b288a5595f821c8a0acee5fdea9ea71.jpg), and, as Tony and Ziva do, all have meanings."

"The side decorated with pampa grass symbolizes the strength of their love story, which grew and grew until it couldn't be contained anymore, catching fire. Tony and Ziva's story was written in the wind since the beginning, and none of us is surprised tonight when they have decided to become one."

"The side decorated with olive tree branches symbolizes the ability of their love to be reborn, over and over throughout the years as their paths crossed and intertwined. The branches come from the bride's garden in Tel Aviv, the last it could be saved before the house she and her daughter were born caught fire in an accident we all are aware, so this is immensely important to us as her family. It symbolizes new beginnings and old reencounters, as they were an element of what brought Ziva and Tony together again."

"The white fresh jasmine petals placed on the path leading to the chuppah symbolizes their six years old daughter Tali, which brought lightness and harmony to their love, the flower which bloomed unexpectedly and brought them closer together," they all looked to Tali, now with cheeks red as she played with the kids throwing the petals up again and again. Ziva chuckled loudly and guests shared the laugh with her, Tali wasn't even paying attention to the ceremony, though she was acting exactly as a child should do. She was a mini Tony in a mini Ziva's body.

"This is the first and probably only ceremony where I won't address the bride and groom's families separately because you are already one. Tony and Ziva managed to have the same family long before they were bound as a family of their own, and you are proof of that," Ducky looked to each side of the aisle, where their families mingled, laughed and cried together, their love for the couple equivalent. He then glanced at each side of the bridesmaids and groomsmen lines, where they all knew each other very well, "they love each of you equally and dearly, and thank you for coming all the way to share this special moment with them." 

"A wedding day is often a day when couples miss family members no longer with them. For Tony and Ziva, there are family members whose memories they hold dear. They arranged the photographs of their most precious moments with them on the first vacant row, close to the wedding and close to their hearts. You are welcome to see them yourselves later, though we are certain they share their smile to us with the stars and sunbeams, on this most special day," Tony squeezed Ziva's hands tightly, giving the strength and support she needed. She nodded gratefully. He knew her. He was her guy.

"And it is amongst friends and family that we begin his ceremony with anticipation and excitement for Tony and Ziva as they take a significant step in their lives," Ducky smiled to the excited bride and groom, "as one of the third-party spectators to their developing love, it was extremely clear that the two of them represent a perfect pairing because each of them complements the other so well. They balance one another, and while each of them is tremendous individuals on their own, together they are even better. And being better together, as a team, a unit, and partners in crime, is what has been many years in the making and ultimately leads us to be here today, witnessing their commitment to one another in front of those they love most."

"The year was 2005. It was a normal day at the Navy Yard, the team was at the bullpen investigating with fervor as they always do, a case very dear to our hearts. I was downstairs doing my job, but I didn't need to go up to know we were in a very dark place. We had lost someone very special to our family that night, and to this day, her mark is still carved in our hearts. As I remember well, and those who know me close know I do, the young woman arriving at the base that day wasn't very welcomed, regarding the circumstances of her visit. Unfortunately, we were in mourning and for that, I am sorry, dear," Ducky patted Ziva's shoulder slightly, "you deserved our love since the beginning, but that's what makes the story so unique."

"It was raining. We were crying in each of our corners, and we were angry, as humans are sometimes. No one, not even the always prepared Agent Gibbs, not the open-minded dear Abby Sciutto and not the lionheart Timothy McGee would have ever thought someone that special would walk into their lives that day. Not Tony DiNozzo. Especially not our Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," Tony let out a harsh laugh, his eyes darting quickly to the evening sky to express his disbelief, "but there she was. And Ziva David had finally arrived at the Naval base, coming from the faraway lands of Tel Aviv, only to meet us."

"And my God, what an entrance," added Tony with a wide smile, remembering her first words. The guests started laughing as well and he couldn't stop smiling.

"So she arrived and the story of Tony DiNozzo and Ziva David began. I, as a forever observer of crime scene investigators, am proud to say this to you now: it is the most beautiful love story you'll ever hear," Tony nodded and his eyes were watery again, similar to Ziva's who giggled in joy, "I came to believe that soulmates do exist, and nothing, not even death, will keep them apart."

"It began as work colleagues, protecting each other's backs as a part of the job, and, with time, a friendship bloomed. I remember one time the team was having a night out and Tony wasn't there, so that made Ziva quite uneasy, for when they're not at the same place, then something went wrong," the guests shared a laugh, "and I remember I turned to her and asked why she was so worried about Tony, acting as if his wayward lover, and she replied 'He's my partner'."

"I don't think she fully grasped what she meant by those words, but she didn't mean partner as a work partner, no, I reckon she knew deep down it was more than that. Tony was her partner and he was meant to be at her side, as her life partner. As her soul partner. This happened very early on their relationship, which made me realize what an honor it was for me to study them so close. To see this story develop along the years."

"Time passed and we quickly put two and two together, they always searched for the other in the room, they put their lives at risk for one another and they complimented each other too well. It became a forbidden topic among us, for it was a forbidden love story, as the best ones are, and the team tried not to speak about it for a very long time, though it was clear as day. Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David loved each other, and everyone knew that. Well, except maybe for the two of them."

People chuckled at the truth of his words, the cotton pink sky turning dark blue with time and stars starting to shine over the lovers' smiles.

"But as good love stories do, this one had its obstacles. A few years later, we thought we had lost Ziva in a terrible accident, and we were devastated. We were devastated for the loss of a dear friend, a great agent and a brilliant young woman. We were devastated for all that didn't come to pass and for all that should have. We are devastated for Anthony, who didn't get the chance to prove the abundance of love he felt; and we were devastated for Ziva, who wouldn't challenge us, brighten us or fight for us, with us, anymore. The sun didn't rise that day and our Navy Yard was again in deep mourning, something we unfortunately never got used to."

"Then, as if sent by destiny, a little angel came into view, speaking in Hebrew, and somehow the darkness wasn't so scary anymore. Ziva had breached us even after death and brought Tali when we thought it was the ending, saving Anthony in her own way. And how glad we were, how happy, that there was still hope," he smiled fondly, breathing deeply once, "so Tony left us to take care of their daughter and, after long nights of concern and sorrow, we discovered Ziva was very much alive. I wish I could explain the relief I felt that day, dear," Ziva was now crying and Ducky held her shoulder, eyes watery as well, "my favorite story wasn't over, there was still a lot to come. And here I am, initiating your wedding, your new beginning. Oh, how glad I am."

"I wish you all the happiness and joy there is in this world, for you two of all people, are ones who deserve love for the rest of your lives. May you raise your daughter in peace, and may you grow together, complementing each other well like you always did all these years. May you cherish your family as your cherished us as your own, and may you live fully, and experience all the wonders of life without any concern. You deserve peace, happiness, and love. You deserve paradise."

"I wish I could tell you a single story about Tony and Ziva that summarizes their relationship and how they enrich each other’s lives, and the lives of each of us, but the truth is there isn’t one single event that is a good encapsulation of what they mean to me, to each other and all of us. But what I do know is that both of them care deeply and passionately for each other; they protect each other; they make each other laugh and think outside themselves; that time magically seems to both fly and slow down when they’re together. They help each other in ways that are obvious and unnoticed, but always appreciated."

"Your differences work for you, you balance each other; you complement each other. While your differences make your love story unique and touching, it is your shared values and morals along with your abiding affection, respect, and devotion to each other that makes your love story one that won't ever end. Today begins a new chapter, that of being married. There are many chapters to come, raising a family, sharing many happy times together, supporting each other’s passions, and caring for each other as you age gracefully, still being delightfully different from each other, but always loving each other as equals."

"I call the best friend of both the groom _and_ bride to share the reading they chose for this special day," said Ducky, gesturing to McGee who quickly wiped his tears and stepped into the altar, taking a piece of paper off his inner pocket.

Tony patted his shoulder in gratitude and Tim smiled fondly, coughing once to clear his throat, "I'll keep all the dramatic speech for the best man's toast, but I just want to declare something before we begin," he laughed with the guests, "to be the one who reads the message these two chose to represent their story is a privilege I wouldn't have ever dare to dream. I've spent years, literal _years_ wishing this day would come and here we are. The reading Tony and Ziva have selected for their ceremony come from the work of E. E. Cummings, a pre-eminent voice of 20th century American poetry. Titled, “ _I carry your heart with me_ ,” this poem speaks to the tender and loving connection between two hearts, something that describes their love perfectly."

Tony and Ziva chuckled slightly, their eyes twinkling under the growing moonlight as they held each other's hands with all they could as if scared of letting go and the dream end.

McGee's voice reverberated across the rows of guests and into the crashing waves beyond, their love marking the earth as if stating it was here to stay. _They_ were here to stay.

_I carry your heart with me  
I carry it in my heart  
I am never without it  
anywhere I go  
you go, my dear;  
and whatever is done by only me  
is your doing, my darling  
I fear no fate  
for you are my fate, my sweet  
I want no world, for beautiful  
you are my world, my true  
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant  
and whatever a sun will always sing is you  
here is the deepest secret nobody knows  
here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud  
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;  
which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide  
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart  
I carry your heart  
I carry it in my heart._

Even after McGee made his way back to his place behind the groom, his words still echoed all around them, the birds chanting them to the sky and the wind carrying them to infinity. Tony couldn't look away from Ziva, his vision turning blurry until he was forced to blink. In his eyes, she shone brighter than the stars around them, with her soft smile and twinkling brown eyes. Ziva mouthed "I love you" to him, only to him, and he felt his heart about to explode in joy. He was made of love, of joy, of sunlight. His knees wanted to buckle.

"Now we come to the words that make this ceremony legal and binding," Ducky said turned to the couple holding hands, his steady tone calming them, "marriage is perhaps the greatest and most challenging adventure of human relationships. No ceremony can create your marriage; only you can do that - through love and patience; through dedication and perseverance; through talking and listening, helping and supporting and believing in each other; through tenderness and laughter; through learning to forgive, learning to appreciate your differences, and by learning to make the important things matter, and to let go of the rest. What this ceremony can do is to witness and affirm the choice you make to stand together as lifemates and partners."

Ducky turned to Tony, a wide smile on his lips as he asked the words which would resonate in his mind forever.

"Will you, Anthony DiNozzo Junior, take this woman to be your wedded wife?"

Tony looked to the sky. It was dark blue. The stars shone bright, scattering across his vision, the night sky so wide it was impossible to grasp it all. The moon shone high, it's soft light dancing behind sparse clouds, her secrets hidden in plain sight. He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Jasmines. Jasmines and seawater, the wind singing in his ears, the sound of the crashing waves in sync with his thundering heartbeat. He smiled. He smiled until his cheeks started to hurt, until he couldn't feel his body anymore, until he was made of light. 

Tony opened his eyes and looked at Ziva, who was chuckling in disbelief right in front of him. His smile widened, and he felt young again. He felt like the luckiest man in the world.

He raised her hands to his lips and kissed them briefly, the lovers' touch intimate even in front of everyone, "I will."

"Will you, Ziva David, take this man to be your wedded husband?"

Ziva was crying with joy, her hands trembling inside of his, her blood hot inside her veins. She couldn't stop smiling, feeling the weight of this moment in her bones, in her soul. She felt like she had lived all her life only to get to this moment, to be here. Her heart felt like it was going to burst, like it was made completely of sunshine. She looked at Tony beaming broadly, kissing her hands against the rules, his eyes bright with delight. He looked magnificent. He looked like the love of her life.

"I will," she said without hesitating, without a drop of doubt in her body. Ziva wanted to shout that to the sky.

"We've come to the point of your ceremony where you're going to say your vows to one another. But before you do that, I ask you to remember that love - which is rooted in faith, trust, and acceptance - will be the foundation of an abiding and deepening relationship. No other ties are more tender, no other vows more sacred than those you now assume. If you can keep the vows you take here today, not because of any religious or civic law, but out of a desire to love and be loved by another person fully, without limitation, then your life will have joy and the home you establish will be a place in which you both will find the direction of your growth, your freedom, and your responsibility," Ducky smiled fondly to the couple and took a step back, letting them speak, "please now read the vows you have written for each other."

Tony kissed Ziva's hand and let it drop gently. He inhaled once deeply and smiled through sudden nervous features, adjusting his [beige suit jacket](https://66.media.tumblr.com/5ac44c3e5431d96cdd4a78fccc351961/a7cc0b355be2037b-82/s640x960/29a69c5b5011e6d2309a3c0b973274f0106ee8e4.jpg) and running a hand through his combed hair.

"As you can imagine, when I was writing this," he took out a paper inside his inner suit pocket to show Ziva, "I had no idea where to begin. No idea at all, because there was so much that I wanted you to know," his throat started to close and he cleared it softly, "so, like a coward, I'm going to start at the beginning," Tony smiled.

"When you walked into the bullpen that day, my life changed completely, just making that clear," he huffed a laugh, "as any normal visitor does, you not only interrupted a private conversation I was having on the phone but also was incisive in asking if was having phone sex, which was probably the most perfect thing for you to say, and I would be very disappointed if our story had begun any other way," the guests were now laughing with him, "I knew right away that you were it for me. When you walked into that office and swayed your hips until you were sitting in a chair that wasn't even yours, flirting with me shamelessly as if we hadn't just met seconds ago, I just knew it. There were no reservations or second thoughts. I saw you and in an instant I knew it in my bones, my soul had known your soul lifetimes ago."

"Those who know me truly, knows how much of a fool I am, joking with everything I see," Tony raised his chin and looked deep into her soul, "you saw through that. I was so intimidated by you because from the start, you saw right through me. There was no corner to hide, you knew just how to play me, to challenge me, and to make me revaluate myself. You were so different from every girl that had passed my way, I was so shocked. I was so shocked you would run away if you knew me from who I was, a coward, playing with love like it was nothing." 

"But then you stayed. And for a while, I doubted myself, questioning if fate was only playing with me. You stayed, and I became your partner like it was the only position I was meant to fill all my life. I used to wonder why people fight so hard for love. And then I met you, and there was no doubt. I couldn't help myself," Tony cast her a smile, "Ziva David, if there was one thing I did right in my life, it was when I gave my heart to you."

"And you may not believe me now, but it feels like it's been a lifetime since I started loving you. And I found proof that helps my case, something that I did long ago, completely scared of what the future would hold. And here, in front of everyone, I do this for you. For you and only you, Dah-veed."

Tony pulled a wrinkled piece of paper from his pocket, then huffed a nervous laugh, his smile growing as he started to read to himself what the note held.

"Very Special Agent Tony DiNozzo proud bucket list," Ziva started to laugh, completely surprised by the sudden change of atmosphere, "number one, master the art of Kung Fu. Number two, drive a 1965 Aston Martin DB5 like the one in Goldfinger. Number three, discover the meaning of life. Starting well, with the easiest ones," he winked at her, to the guests' constant loud laughter, "number four, catch a shark. I did that, I need to cross that, don't ask about it. Number five, date a Bond girl and/or Miss Universe. How about marrying the love of my life for a change?" he took out a pen of his pocket and wrote in the note, changing it to Ziva's delight, "I think you're hotter than any Bond girl, to be honest."

Ziva crossed her arms but couldn't help the wide grin that formed in her lips. Tony wriggled his eyebrows and the guests cheered and yelled in joy, their laughter reverberating across the patio.

"Okay, moving on, number six, ride in a motorcycle ball of death. Yeah, yeah I don't think I'll finish that one in time too, but a man can dream," he opened up a smile, "now to the point, number twenty-four, let friends get closer," McGee patted his back in a gesture of comfort, which he nodded in gratitude, "yeah, very cheesy, I know. Number twenty-five, try space tourism. That one I think I'll leave it for Tali," he chuckled to the girl who looked at him with wide eyes as she heard her name, but then quickly returned to her game with Victoria, "and number twenty-six. Oh, number twenty-six, the most difficult of all of them. The one I read and read and read, again and again and again, many times over the years, blaming myself for not doing it earlier. I blame myself for that now," Tony inhaled deeply and blinked the tears away, "number twenty-six: tell her."

Tony held the paper with both hands, suddenly breathing with difficulty, and lifted his eyes to a stunned Ziva. He was certain now she hadn't read all the things on the list like he always had wondered so.

"Ziva David," her name rolled in his tongue as if he was kissing every syllable, "you may think you’re too imperfect and unstable to be loved by a romantic, dysfunctional soul like me, but you’re not. I choose you, all of you even those parts of you that you think are unlovable, and that means I’m in this. I’m in this till the very end. I imagine that to others, we appeared like a knot. We were messy and dysfunctional and constantly tangled up in each other. Our limbs, our emotions, our lives. I was always trying to smooth out the rougher parts of you and you were trying to untangle the disaster that my life was becoming. I don’t know how we became so caught up in each other, but my God I was never happier to bend and twist myself around the prospect of someone’s happiness."

"Ziva David, I want to drown in your eyes. I want to talk with you endlessly at night while gazing at the stars. I want to make you laugh until your cheeks hurt. I want to talk about our dreams. I want to be there to catch you if you fall. But most of all, I just want to be with you. I want to be with you until the end of days until we're old and gray and the strong Ziva David can't open a pickle jar anymore. Until I have watched all of Hitchcock's movies a thousand times with you by my side. Until we stop arguing about crime scenes and suspects and start arguing about who is making dinner and who is driving the kids to school and who is growing old faster. I want to be with you every step of the way, learning to live beside you. I just want to be with you forever.”

His voice broke, and tears blurred his vision. Ziva was now crying as well, and she held his arm involuntarily, bringing them closer to each other.

"That night on the tarmac, it was the hardest 180 of my life. I cursed the heavens for pulling you away from me," his eyes were full of emotion, and Ziva opened her mouth slightly, "at the same time, I prayed that you would find everything you sought. I prayed you'd be okay, you'd find happiness, and maybe remember me along the way. But that moment when I didn't see you next to me on my way back to DC, I could hear my heart breaking. I could feel my soul leaving my body, for my life wasn't there. _You weren't there_. You were supposed to stay at that desk in front of me forever, at my side, for my job was to protect you, and you-" his throat started to close, "I spent so many days, weeks after that, knowing I had made the wrong decision. I dreamed of you, coming back to me and telling me I was going to be okay. That we were going to be okay." 

"And then when you- when you-," his voice broke and tears streamed down his cheeks, " -when you disappeared, I had the chance to get a glimpse of how life was without you. And I couldn't- it just didn't make sense. When you left, you carried all of me with you. _All of me_. From the day you weren't beside me, my mind was clear. My heart was certain, I couldn't live without you at all. I don’t care, I love you anyhow. It is too late to turn you out of my heart. Part of you lives here."

"Ziva David, even when I'm gone, even after we are dust after we're no longer here, know this with blind certainty: I didn't fall in love with you, I walked into love with you, with my eyes wide open, choosing to take every step along the way. I do believe in fate and destiny, but I also believe we are only fated to do the things that we'd choose anyway. And I'd chose you; in different lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd chose you. I'll travel to the ends of the Earth for you, I'll put all my lives at risk, I'll lay my raw heart in a plate for you. I'll find you, even if I'm dead, I'll find you and I'll make sure to make you feel loved. You are loved, by every cell of my body and every inch of my soul. Now I know: you are loved by all of me."

"And even on the darkest of days, you managed to send me a sign. When my mind was a mess and my heart was destroyed, you sent me an angel with your own eyes and curly hair, right on my doorstep. And I was so happy, I was so thankful, I was so proud. You had left a part of you, a part of us, with me. You left sunshine in your wake, bright daylight to give me the strength to carry on, to guide my steps back to you once again. My heart grew in an instant, and I was sure: you were it for me. You were the one people bragged about, the cinema type of love, the soulmate. You were my home and I was your permanent resident. And we will always come back to each other, for I fell in love with your soul, and that, sweet cheeks, is timeless."

"Ziva David, you are the most badass person I know, and I'm scared for everyone that comes your way. You're also one of the kindest and most vulnerable souls I know, and you would do anything to protect the people you love. You outsmart me and you amaze me, and I'm yours. I'm sorry for correcting your Zivaisms all those years, but I can't help it. You have bewitched me, body and soul, and I love you," he lifted his eyes and she was smiling, caught that reference, "I can't smile without you, I can't live without you and I can't _not_ love you."

"I promise to comfort you, and carry you when you're brought low. I promise to defend you, and stand when you cannot. I promise to honor you, and take nothing for granted. I promise to have faith in you, even when you doubt. I promise that every day, you will know that you are loved. I promise to build my home with you, and carry you in my heart. I promise to bug you until my dying days, and quote every movie I remember. And I'll start right away, and I'll make sure to tell you this, every single day: as you wish, as you wish, as you wish. What a luxury it is to be in love, and to build a life from nothing; to have suffered as we have suffered, and still to rise as we have risen."

"Here’s to all the places we went. And here’s to all the places we’ll go. And here’s to me, whispering again and again and again and again: I love you," through constant falling tears and a broken voice, Tony held the pen high and crossed number twenty-six off his list, "Ziva David,” he put the papers once again inside his pocket and held her hands, raising each open palm to his lips, " **I was made for loving you** ," he kissed them once, twice, three times, "I think we deserve a soft epilogue, my love," his green eyes were full of meaning and Ziva couldn't stop the tears from coming, "we are good people, and we’ve suffered enough."

Even the stars were crying.

"Oh, God," Ziva said trying to wipe the warm tears tracing her cheeks, without avail, "I think I've cried more today than my whole life."

The moon ascended the sky slowly, its light illuminating the bride's silhouette and making the silver lining her wet eyes shine. All that could be heard was the sound of the waves crashing at the bay down below and the multiple sniffs of heir family and friends, witnessing their light shine brighter than ever, a clear line connecting the two lovers under the stars. The birds stopped singing and started listening to the story unfold, eyes darting from each lover to follow their vows. Even the children had stopped playing and were now looking at the altar with wide eyes as if they sensed this moment was important somehow.

Ziva glanced at Jimmy and he promptly gave her a folded note, which she opened with trembling hands. The bride closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, gathering her strength. The scent of saltwater and fresh flowers invaded her senses, calming her thundering heart. When she opened them again, Ziva could only see him, smiling softly under the moonlight, his figure strong and real right in front of her. She smiled.

"Once," Ziva inhaled deeply once again, her throat closing up, "once someone asked me if I had ever met my soulmate. She said I would know the minute I did," Ziva smiled through watery eyes, "and I remember, I remember not having any doubts, I remember thinking of you right away. It was mere years after we had met, but I had your image in my mind so clearly, I almost cried. That day, I looked into your eyes and for the first time in a very long time, I felt happy. I had forgotten what that felt like until I met you."

"I was in a very dark place for a very long time, but from the moment I met you at that foreign office, everything was easy. Your smile was easy, your teasing was easy, your friendship and everything beyond was so easy, it shocked me. I was so complicated for so long, and you came into my life and made it all easy. Life with you was easy and I became addicted, your jokes were my drug and time spent with you flew by in a blink. Since I met you, a little voice whispered to me at the back of my mind: that thing you were most afraid of? It's real. It's all real, and all that ever happened was meant to bring you to him," she cast him a soft smile through a blurred vision.

"Fate was playing with me all that time, teaching me how to fight, learning how to obey and follow orders, only to bring me to you, to make me fall in love with you, the thing I had laughed about all my life. The thing I was so skeptical and dismissive about and hopeless it would ever happen to me. But that you were, Tony DiNozzo, your lazy smile and devilish eyes, playing with fire. No one had ever dared to play with my fire before, but you weren't scared at all. Because our souls, our souls had met before. They came from the same fire, the same light, the same star."

"I didn't know there was something missing until I found you. I laugh harder with you. I feel more myself with you. I trust you with me – the real me. The broken warrior without any defenses, without any shields or weapons. I lay myself to you bare, and only you know me for who I am. All my life, I was so scared that they would back away if they knew the real me, the coward, the weak, the fool, and you didn't. You stayed and you stayed and you stayed, even when I didn't deserve you, even when fate separated us, you'd always find your way back to me. You fought for me every day, and I was such a fool for so long, I was so so blind."

"That moment in Somalia," Ziva held his cheek and he leaned into her touch, "I thought I was going to die, Tony. I was certain of it. I was so broken and so scared, and when that monster lifted the hood, he gave me the greatest gift of all. I breathed again, like that was the moment I was reborn. He brought clarity to my soul, to my heart, and when I saw you, I was certain. Just like that, I was certain you were it for me," her voice broke and she inhaled deeply. 

"You were my sunshine, my hero, my soulmate. The one who didn't and wouldn't give up on me ever and the one who would always fight for me no matter what was at stake. In my darkest moment where even the sun was afraid to show me his rays of shine, you came to me with stars in your hand and pulled me out, to show me the better side of the world. Even when I have given up on myself, you, with restless hands, kept holding me high. You are always there, to keep the world around me from falling apart and words are never enough to express how grateful I am to have you in my life."

"And when distance separated us again, I felt so empty. I felt a void in my soul, as if something was entirely wrong. But I was so blind, I felt the air change but didn't hear it singing your name," tears streamed freely down her cheeks, "I was wrong, I was so wrong, I wish fate had been easier on us, but I would do it all again if it brought me to you. To here. I know you think you don't deserve love, that you're a dysfunctional soul when it comes to romance, but the wind is clear now, and my mind is clear: it only sings your name, and I can feel it in my veins, I want to shout it to the sky. You are loved, you are so loved, more than you know. I said that on the tarmac that night and I will repeat it for the rest of my days: you are so so loved. I hereby pledge, all of my days, to prove it so."

"Tony DiNozzo, thank you for being the most wonderful, annoying, and inspiring surprise of my life. Thank you for seeing past through all my demons and pain and loving me with the hope and happiness that I couldn’t find within myself. Thank you for all the fights we had together, all the laughter and all the tears. Thank you for all the movies we watched together and how I’ll never get tired of seeing you smile at happily ever after endings and how my passion to know you more will grow throughout these years. Thank you for making me better than the day I first met you by making me feel that I don’t have to prove myself too much to you because, in your arms, I am enough. Thank you for being honest, encouraging, and nurturing, and crossing paths with you has been the greatest privilege of my existence. But most of all, thank you for being my best friend. Thank you for being the love of my life. Thank you for believing in us."

"Anthony DiNozzo, you're the greatest man I know. You are so kind and generous - you challenge me to be a better person and to be the best version of myself. You are constantly striving to understand me in all my forms, and for that, you deserve a thousand praises. You are incredible. You know all those movies quotes by heart and you make me laugh with every single one of them. You are the best partner in crime and my equal in every way, and you're the most wonderful father to our little girl."

"When I gave Tali away, I was giving a part of my soul away, and it destroyed me. The only thing that gave me strength was knowing I was giving a piece of my soul to the one person who would take care of it. To the love of my life, to my own soul, oceans away," she caressed his cheek, wiping the tears away. 

"I have made many mistakes, but falling for you wasn't one of them. Your love is greater than anything I could have ever imagined. I still can’t believe that you chose me, I have been so richly blessed. I have found the one whom my soul loves. I have found the one who will take care of Tali, take care of me, without thinking twice. When I first met you, I knew in my bones you were my soulmate. When we said our last goodbye, my heart shattered beyond recognition. Time took us away from each other and then distance intervened. But even then, I knew that the universe would someday bring you back to me."

"Sometimes, home has a heartbeat. You are my Paris, and you are my Berlin and you are my Cairo. I always felt like you were familiar to me. Our souls have met since the beginning of everything, and we come from the same star. We fit together and fell in together so quickly that you began to feel like ‘home’ to me. Today, I have fully come to realize that you are my home. Wherever you go, I go. Your path will be my path and we will face each challenge and joy together. ”

"Tony DiNozzo, I vow to help you love life, to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share the silence when they are not. I vow to live within the warmth of your heart and always call it home," Ziva cleared her throat lightly, her voice breaking through all the tears, "I vow to fiercely love you, in all forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget that this is a once in a lifetime love. I vow to love you with all I have and no matter what challenges might carry us apart, we will always found a way back to each other. I will always, always love you."

"If that woman asked me again today if I had ever met my soulmate, I would shout your name to all the stars and skies beyond, and every single grain of sand and every single ray of sunshine would know who is Anthony DiNozzo," Ziva chuckled through the tears and Tony did as well, "you made me believe in magic. And soulmates. And the possibility that this world is not as cruel as it seems," she kissed his cheekbone softly, as Tony's hand squeezed hers that cupped his face tightly, "Tony DiNozzo, I would like to laugh with you for the rest of my life," Ziva kissed him once, twice, three times, washing the falling tears away, "what magic the universe has exerted to have our souls cross, finally. My love, we have much to look forward to."

Ziva laughed, her heart exploding with joy as warm tears fell to the altar tiles. Tony took her hand cupping his cheek and kissed the side of her wrist, closing his eyes. The stars blessed them with their light, and the moon finally revealed her smile, as soulmates became one with the same heartbeat. Their love could move mountains and mighty oceans, it was pure sunshine and moonlight, it was real. It was real and palpable and infinite. Time stopped at the lovers' caress, soulmates finally finding each other after years of suffering, of fighting, of mourning. 

They were infinite.

[Tony smiled and opened his eyes, resting his forehead in Ziva's, who shared his laugh of disbelief](https://66.media.tumblr.com/dfd8a3a9ef779892298238dde13afa2d/a7cc0b355be2037b-f8/s1280x1920/f5a1b5e0da8637025576af546a360039d9d2cca8.jpg). They closed their eyes at the same time and inhaled deeply, Ziva's trembling hands made steady inside Tony's strong ones. A moment passed, but it seemed like time hadn't passed at all and they were young again, like they were always meant to be here, to do this, to love each other.

"Tali, mon coeur," Ziva said through an opened smile, distancing herself from Tony and opening her eyes, "Tali, sweetheart, come here."

Tali appeared from behind Ellie's dress, her eyes wide with surprise. Ziva squatted down and Tony kneeled, opening a welcoming smile to their daughter.

"Why are you crying?" Tali asked softly, taking hesitant steps up to the altar, "please don't cry."

"They are tears of joy, dear," Tony kissed her hair once she was close, between her father and mother, in front of everyone to see, "don't be afraid. We have something to tell you."

Tali's big brow eyes followed Tony's movement when he grabbed something from the inner pocket of his suit and held it in front of her. It was a golden bracelet, shining under the moonlight. There were [three pendants, small but elegantly made](https://66.media.tumblr.com/cc3c480d161c1dd1b70e32d49703d1db/a7cc0b355be2037b-69/s640x960/20bca7a2061e07fb3f0bef4b6aa4338fb2eb28d7.jpg). One was a small sun, with a 'T' engraved on its top. The other was a small moon, with a 'Z'. Between them, was a small star, with another 'T', this one in cursive lettering. Tony took her hand and kissed it, just before Ziva helped him put the bracelet on her wrist. Tali studied it with surprise, the shimmering gold magic in her eyes.

"May these words be the first to find your ears: the world is brighter than the sun, now that you're here with us. You are our whole universe, all the stars, and all our moons," Ziva pressed a finger to her chin as she talked to her, "Tali, we were changed in an instant, we became so much more. Our definition of perfect was written when you were born."

"We will learn from each other, as you grow up, we will too. I'll give you everything I have and I'll teach you everything I know," Tony kissed her hand one more time as his voice broke, "I promise I'll do my very best to soften every edge for you. I promise to hold you close and I promise to let you go. I promise to keep you safe and I promise to walk beside you."

"There is so much to tell you. There is so much to see," Ziva continued, her eyes teary again, "what a privilege to love you, my dear, I love you more than I love myself. I promise to rearrange the stars and pull them down to where you are, my light, my love, because you are my life. I promise to always seek what you seek, and share your dreams as they were mine. I promise to take care of you and I promise to teach you to take care of yourself."

"Though your heart is far too young to realize, know that you are grace and you are light. You are beautiful like your mother, and you are loved more than you know. You are a better version of our best, and I cannot hold enough of you in my hands," Tony put a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "Tali, even if you doubt many things in life, know this with blatant certainty: we love you, we love you, we love you. Our hearts are only made of you, and your happiness is our happiness. Your passions are ours and your victories are our own. You are already our greatest success."

"And if ever there is a tomorrow when we're not together," Ziva traced her new bracelet with a finger and Tali's eyes followed her moves, "there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is even if we're apart, we will always be with you. Always."

"We love you with all we have, with every inch of our souls," Tony added with a smile.

"To the lagoon and back?" she asked softly, brown eyes wide.

Tony looked at Ziva, his eyes twinkling with laughter. She chuckled in joy, and winked at him.

"Yes, Tali, to the moon and back," it was Ziva who replied, a smile dancing in her lips, to a surprised Tony.

Tali nodded, her face grave. She then lifted her eyes and looked to each of her parents, who smiled fondly to her, "I love you too," she said softly, cracking a smile as well.

"Oh, my God, stop," muttered Breena, holding Abby's arm, "stop or we'll go dry. There are no tears left to cry in my body," she wiped the remaining ones off her cheeks with a tissue.

"And we've already devoured all Delilah's _and_ McGee's tissues," added Abby, her blue eyes red with emotion, "but please, go on. Prove us that love is real," she motioned to Ducky to continue the ceremony, opening up a smile as she wiped her tears as well.

Tony kissed Tali's curls one last time and Ziva caressed her cheek, letting her go. The groom extended a hand to Ziva and helped her up, a big smile on his lips. His eyes roamed her body, the beads of her dress shining under the moonlight. She looked beautiful. His smile widened.

"Ani ohev otakh," he muttered to her, green eyes twinkling.

_I love you._

"Ani gam ohevet otkha," she replied, brown ones watering.

_I love you too._

Ducky took his place again between the two, and they faced each other, holding hands. The guests were crying and laughing at the same time, eyes never leaving the altar, no words muttered between them with the fear of missing something of the ceremony. The night was young and everything was beautiful. The moon shone proudly and the ocean kissed the shore. 

Paradise was here.

"May I have the rings, please?" asked Ducky to McGee, who pushed his son slightly towards the stage.

Johnny took hesitant steps to the altar, with hands stretched in front of him, proudly presenting the rings to Ducky. He gave him the [wooden box ornated with white flowers](https://66.media.tumblr.com/251cb010c435f67f77e4155e524bf51c/577e86abae9df654-5c/s1280x1920/afa386e6513b385638f9727e74b03d805c40e3a6.jpg) and quickly returned to his father's side, receiving a pat on his hair and a 'good job' in return.

"Your wedding rings are the outward and visible signs of the inward and invisible bond which already unites your two hearts in love. Like your wedding rings, your love is unending," Ducky opened the box and presented it to Jimmy, "This set was designed to symbolize how each part complete the other. While wearing these bands you take a part of your loved one with you. James, please give Anthony's ring to Ziva."

Inside the box were two matching rings, [one made of pure gold and the other with a darker surface](https://66.media.tumblr.com/e836ca9204da14a484f9c6143779ec01/a7cc0b355be2037b-55/s640x960/cb94dee178a6c1f5ca15044d05f8ccd4abd54019.jpg). The gold one was delicate, with little diamonds placed in each corner, round rose gold wires intertwining among itself. The darker one was solid and bigger, its inside crafted to match the other ring perfectly, as if from the same stone. As if meant for them. As if meant for soulmates. Jimmy took the black one carefully, presenting it to Ziva, which thanked him with a soft smile and took it with trembling fingers.

"Ziva, as you place Tony’s ring on his finger, repeat after me: I give you this ring," said Ducky, watching Ziva held Tony's hand in hers.

"I give you this ring," she said through a soft smile.

"Wear it with love and joy," the bride repeated his words, "as this ring has no end," she put it in Tony's finger, smoothly, "neither will my love for you."

"Neither will my love for you," her smile was so big her cheeks hurt.

"Timothy," Ducky held the box closer to McGee, "please give Ziva’s ring to Anthony," he took the golden smaller one and gave it to an excited groom.

"Tony, now place this ring on Ziva’s finger and repeat after me: with this ring," said Ducky, watching Tony held Ziva's hand in his.

"With this ring," his eyes were bright and his smile was wide.

"I marry you," the groom repeated Ducky's words, "wear it as a sign of my love," he put it on Ziva's finger, its size perfect for her, "and as a promise that you shall never walk alone."

"And as a promise that you shall never walk alone," he was made of joy, his heart racing in his ears.

The sky was now dark blue and everywhere was bathed in moonlight. Candles strategically placed at the aisle and around the chuppah gave the lovers a soft golden glow, their eyes twinkling with newfound tears. The blood on their veins was hot, and their hearts beat as one when they held each other's hands. Everyone was smiling, tears lining their eyes. The night was beautiful.

"Tony and Ziva, having witnessed you declare your vows and exchange rings, your family and friends are excited to congratulate you and give you their good wishes. They convey blessings, the traditional seven in number, to you on your wedding day," said Ducky, taking a step back.

Abby was the one to take his place, giving one kiss on Ziva's cheek and another one at Tony's, "may your life together be blessed with health, love, and laughter.”

She stepped aside to let Jimmy take her place, who opened a bright smile to the couple, "may you always share open and honest communication between each other."

McGee pushed Delilah's chair slowly towards the altar and said in sync with her, "may you respect each other’s individuality and give each other room to grow and fulfill your dreams."

Kasie and Breena held each other's hand and stepped into the altar, "may you both enjoy and cherish the home and family you will create together."

Nick made his way confidently, squeezing Tony and Ziva's shoulders, "may you find ways to experience new adventures with each other throughout your lives, travel, new ideas, and shared interests."

Ellie smiled softly to the new couple, taking Torres' place with bright eyes, "may you always be best friends, better together than either of you is apart," her words rang true to their souls.

Gibbs and Jack stood up from the second row, holding hands and saying in one voice, "may you give each other the gifts of tenderness, joy, harmony, fidelity, and enduring love."

There were smiles everywhere.

The sky was the color of the crashing waves, the seafoam glittering under the bright starlight.

Flowers insensate the air, mixing with the feeling of hope and eternal bliss.

Everything was made by love.

"By the power of your love and commitment, and the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Tony, you may now kiss your bride," his words echoed through their bones.

Tony smiled with joy, placing one hand at the back of Ziva's neck, pulling her closer. His other one found the way to her waist, closing the distance between them as Ziva put both of her hands on his chest. His lips found hers and their smiles crashed to each other, as they closed their eyes and their hearts beat as one, thundering on their ears. 

Ziva's hand found his hair and they could hear loud cheers in the distance, muffled by the proximity of each other and the growing sensation of happiness. Tony's soft lips left hers for a moment only for Ziva to [feel him turn her around and dip her](https://66.media.tumblr.com/cd5dda0cb9300be6731ffbc24b3c8d05/a7cc0b355be2037b-01/s640x960/7abfdec82bf2bcf2b20acab579fca15a3e610b7b.jpg), the cheers exploding all around them. He kissed her once again, their lips separating only to laugh, their bodies and souls made of joy and love for each other, from their fingertips to the joining kiss. They were made of light.

Tony helped her back to a standing position after a last peck on her lips, turning her towards Ducky as [he squeezed her hand tightly](https://66.media.tumblr.com/4f50c6d4befb94ac20338e5dfaddf978/a7cc0b355be2037b-70/s1280x1920/87b6b430fa0965d3961c33554c81834315100707.jpg).

"As Anthony breaks the glass, this is the wish we have for you both: may your love sustain you and keep you together for as long as it takes the pieces of the glass to come back together. In other words, may you stay together forever," Jimmy helped Ducky place the glass on the ground, "as the glass is broken, we know your marriage vows are as permanent and final as the breaking of this glass will be unchangeable. Tony, please, break the glass," said Ducky with a smile.

Tony let go of Ziva's hand only to lift his foot high and break the glass in one go.

"MAZEL TOV!" everyone yelled in one voice.

Ziva looked at him with the brightest smile, love pouring from her features as Tony held her hand and kissed it. Jimmy placed her bouquet on her other one, and she nodded thankfully, her eyes twinkling in complete bliss. 

"It is my honor and delight to introduce the newlyweds, Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo," Ducky's voice echoed across the patio, and the guests exploded in cheers and whistles. The children ran and giggled, laughter filling the night and expanding towards the infinite sky and sea.

Tony held her hand and ran across the aisle, pulling her to his side, waving to their friends and family as they cheered and yelled in joy, [throwing rice towards the newly weds](https://66.media.tumblr.com/36cf213e7a4d68aa472ac7266a3d3071/ddd2177ff79723c3-50/s640x960/ae5c00bdd4cf5a91c53f40749e463ed43795ede8.jpg). Ziva couldn't stop laughing, her cheeks hurting with happiness, as she held his hand tightly and followed him across the patio, flowers marking their path. 

Just as they got to the end of the aisle, Tony stopped and turned to her, a devilish grin in his lips. He gave her no warning as he lifted Ziva to his shoulder, carrying her the remaining way on his arms, [a proud fist making a victory pump raised in the air](https://66.media.tumblr.com/3479dc9cc1651c8c71cc91576471872d/ddd2177ff79723c3-18/s640x960/9a28c49a576c737656aa9e04f04600f8bb0bdd80.jpg), their laughter echoing all around. He felt like the luckiest man in the world and she felt like it was possible to die of happiness, shining in every part of her soul.

They were married, the stars aligned.

The moon laughed with delight.

They were married.


	9. The toasts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“The greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love, and be loved in return.”_  
>  \- Nat King Cole

Children chased the moonbeams as if they were rays of magic under the starlight sky.

Loud giggles echoed between the olive trees and around the setting tables of the backyard patio. Fairy lights were wrapped around the tree branches and displayed over the rows of chairs, along with [golden lanterns hanging from the palm trees and brightly lit candles strategically placed on each table, giving the night a soft warm-gold glow](https://66.media.tumblr.com/c936898edd264213653fce7c38fb7252/bb665e107dbfb933-b1/s1280x1920/22761545b9d952207d1234db21bf1b60f093c206.jpg). The tables were draped in a cream-colored light fabric which constantly swayed in the wind coming from the sea nearby, placed around a white tiled dancefloor, under a big wooden pergola connected directly to the garden.

Olive leaves and white baby breath flowers formed a long centerpiece over each table, intertwined together between [sets of small scented candles filling the air with a light lavender aroma](https://66.media.tumblr.com/81b35d2f4c0bca1c5455df4f0efcea36/bb665e107dbfb933-6d/s1280x1920/d2626f94f58a4b6b9a2063ba2a923eb86247159e.jpg). People chattered and laughed out loud, drinking sweet wine and waiting for the bride and groom to appear while dinner was being served.

Plates of hot food passed from hand to hand while small bits of fruit made their way to electric children's mouths. Cold glasses clinked together and were quickly refilled, citric mimosas with orange peels hanging from the brim turning into sweet sparkling strawberry wine in a minute. 

The dancefloor was empty but inviting, the white tiles waiting for the disco music to come and the fun to spread out as perfume, wholly intoxicating. On one side of the tiles was a small stage, where the band calmly waited for the couple to make their entrance, playing soft jazz and lazy notes with an unknown cadence that was vaguely familiar. Next to it was a wooden platform, which was small but big enough to hold one of the most precious things on the venue.

An elegant black Steinway piano was angled to the side of the stage, almost identical to the one from the groom's apartment in Paris. No one from the band was playing it, but it was so exquisite [with olive vines and jasmine flowers overspilling from the piano soundboard](https://66.media.tumblr.com/11497411e9b7d2d14c757124317b36f1/bb665e107dbfb933-54/s1280x1920/4ceace1f0a1c7d63001f6322760b9763458a413e.jpg), the guests kept glancing at it as if waiting for the shining ivory keys to play themselves. 

It held the promise of something beautiful.

The venue was a level lower than the aisle, and now the sea was closer to the people, the waves becoming one of the guests of the party as well. Ocean breeze carried their laughter to the dark night sky, the stars ready to start dancing for the party about to come, shining brighter than ever. People were cheering and laughing do loud, the moon had come out from under the clouds to peek at what was so joyful. It didn't disappoint her.

Ellie had accompanied Abby as she talked with a member of the band about the song choices of the night on one side of the stage. She was only halfway there though, and her attention soon drifted to an agent laughing lightly with the children at the other side of the garden. 

He was one of the children himself.

Nick was teaching them to cartwheel, Victoria and Johnny trying and falling at the grass with giggles as they failed to mimic him. Tali was getting the hang of it, her flower crown long gone from her hair, and currently at the bridesmaids' table, who were taking care of her until Tony and Ziva arrive. Morgan was watching everything with crossed arms and a stern face, watching Nick's moves as he cartwheeled again and again with ease. 

His hair was untidy but somehow that made him even more handsome in Bishop's eyes. His dark blue suspenders were hanging from his trousers, and his rolled-up white shirt showed a few traces of sweat. Nick's wide smile matched the kids', who asked him to repeat his movements again and again. He didn't complain once.

Ellie's mind wandered.

"Uncle Nick?" asked Morgan with a frown, "can I ask you a question?"

"Of course you can, Morgie," he used the nickname Abby had given her, sitting down next to her and panting, rubbing his hands together to get rid of the dirt.

She reflected for a moment and sit down as well on top of a flat rock just under a big olive tree, its leaves swaying and crackling in the wind. Morgan took a flower petal that had escaped the ceremony and was now stuck among the grass, her little fingers tracing it softly. She looked at Nick with a stern face, taking this moment completely seriously. Nick smiled at her little frowned forehead.

"How do I know I'm in love?" she asked quietly, her big blue eyes not leaving his.

Nick inhaled deeply and smiled, his arms supporting his back as he angled his head towards the sky. There were stars everywhere. It was one of those nights that made you feel grateful only for being alive and getting a chance to see all that beauty, speckles of shining dust scattered beyond his vision could go, contrasting with the dark blue painted sky.

"Do you have any dreams, Morgie?" Torres huffed a laugh as he remembered he'd asked the same thing to Bishop earlier, her surprised face coming to his mind and making him cast a lazy smile.

She nodded thoughtfully, then pursed her lips, her frown deepening, "I don't know," she answered softly.

"I forgot you were only four," he smiled, taking a little grass flower and handing it to her, "that's not important. Everybody dreams of something, but sometimes the dreams are hidden, only for you to get to know them once they become true," she started to pick the flower petals distractedly and seemed less worried, "they like to surprise us."

"I dream that I'm a mermaid when we go to the sea," she smiled, her blue eyes widening as if understanding him.

"That's a very good dream, see?" he patted her hair softly, with a smile, "so, love is also a very common dream. Most people seek love and dream about it, a lot."

"But how do I know _I'm_ in love?" she asked again, lifting her nose in challenge, "I need to dream of it?"

"No, kid," Nick inhaled deeply and smiled, picking another grass flower to give her, "you know you're in love when reality is finally better than your dreams."

"That's... that's confusing," Morgan replied, but her face wasn't worried anymore, "do I need to marry if I fall in love?" 

Nick studied her. McGee had told him she was smarter than her age, but _how_ was she asking those questions with four years old?

Intelligent genes combined result in this, he guessed.

"You don't _need_ to marry, only if you want to," he added, suddenly suspicious by her fire-up questions, "and only if the person you're in love with wants it too. If it brings happiness to both of you. "

She nodded gravely, eyeing him as if seeing his soul, "but you'll marry her, right? Aunt Ellie?"

Nick stopped breathing.

He looked at her with a frown and puzzled eyes, his heart racing in a frantic beat. A warmth spread all over his torso to his fingertips, tingling them.

"Why do you say that?" he tried to laugh it off, "we just work together."

"But you love her, right?" Morgan didn't back down, eyeing him suspiciously, "you're gonna marry and we'll have another party like this?" she opened up a big smile when her true desire was revealed.

Nick laughed fondly, tousling her hair once, "yeah, we will," he replied with a certainty he didn't know he had. 

He raised his eyes to the sky again and inhaled deeply, closing them. Nick couldn't help but smile to the stars, caught completely off-guard by the child's imagination. The nice warm feeling was now spreading through his veins, and he wanted to laugh like an idiot. He laid down to the grass, crossing his arms and, with closed eyes, inhaled the ocean breeze, the freshness awaking his senses. His heart galloped in his chest, made entirely of happiness, the drum strong in his ears. 

He was gonna marry her alright.

Ellie stopped dead in her tracks, eyes wide with his words.

The two cold drinks in her hands turned slippery as she did a fast intake of breath, her feet stopping just at the edge of the garden and her body betraying her, leaning forward with the sudden stop. She wasn't breathing, her chest starting to hurt with the strength of her racing, about-to-burst heart. 

Did Nick just say he was going to marry her?

Ellie had melted with the scene of him playing with the children, a warmth in her heart growing with the certainty of a surprisingly good thing about to happen. When he started talking with McGee's daughter, her mind had betrayed her and had ordered two drinks, she didn't even know what kind. Her feet started walking in his direction, as if he was a magnet pulling every cell of her body towards him, the stars pushing them closer. He looked like he moved in slow motion, his smile relaxed and authentic, and she couldn't look away. He looked like her most hidden dream come true, without her even noticing how he, how them, had happened. 

Dreams did like to surprise us by just turning true.

Now Bishop wasn't so sure.

His words resonated in her mind, amplified by the stillness of the world, even with the loud chattering and joyous cheering around her. She was so stunned she almost let the glass smashat the floor, but her agent instincts prevent her from doing so, her feet stopping midway of the path instead, just behind him, followed by a harsh intake of breath. Nick turned around with a lazy smile on his lips, which quickly disappeared once he saw her alarmed expression. 

"Hey, hey, Bishop," he stood up fast, his balance tipsy but eyes wide and fixed on her, "you alright? You-" 

Nick's hands instinctively tried to grab her arms but couldn't once she darted back to the party without saying a word, quickly disposing of the drinks on her way to her friends' table. Ellie was painting, her hands sweaty all of a sudden and her heart racing sky-high, so much that she needed to sit down at the nearest chair possible to try to think straight. His words echoed in her mind and all she could think about was the way he had laughed afterward. Was it a joke? Was it real? Was he happy? Was he certain?

"Are you okay?" Ellie realized Kasie had been repeating this for a few times but her ears had completely blocked it out.

"What?" she replied slowly, blinking to clear her blurry vision. Her heart seemed to start slowing down.

"I said are you okay, Bishop?" Kasie was wide-eyed and grabbed her shoulders softly, giving Ellie back some of her balance, "you look a bit shaken."

"Shaken?"

"Yeah, shaken," Kasie's eyes wandered across her startled features, trying to understand what was going on, "as you've just seen a ghost."

"Ghost?"

"Are you going to repeat everything I say?"

"A _ghost_?" asked Abby excitedly from nearby, coming towards them with a big smile, "whose ghost?" her face fell once she saw Ellie, still wide-eyed and speechless.

The goth kneeled down to Ellie's level and started gently caressing her knees, eyes searching for what was bring her distress, "what happened?" Abby asked softly.

"I don't know, little mermaid here lost her voice," Kasie replied, having straight up and now searching for a certain agent in the crowd. He was nowhere to be seen.

"He-" Ellie started to talk, her voice quiet and eyes wide, darting everywhere, "he can't do that here," her heart was racing and hands were trembling, against her will.

"Nick?" asked Abby softly, her hands still massaging Ellie's knees, "did he tell you something that made you sad?"

"No, he-"

"I'm gonna shake him so bad he's gonna-" started Kasie, eyes still searching for him at the crowd.

"He said he was going to marry me," Ellie looked at her trembling hands and suddenly opened a hesitant smile, "Nick Torres said he was gonna marry _me_."

"Okay, first of all, _wow_ never would have guessed that," said Katie with a monotone voice and dead eyes, "but that made you sad? And now... and now you're happy? What's going on, girl?"

"He can't do that here," added Ellie fast, eyes darting from Abby to Kasie back and forth, "he can't ask me to marry him on somebody else's wedding. That's like having a birthday at someone's funeral. We didn't even go to any date yet, because, because we can't. We can't date. I mean, I never even thought of that. But yeah, maybe I thought about that a couple of times and-"

"Breathe, woman," Kasie grabbed a glass of cold sparkling wine from the table and gave it to Ellie, "here, use liquid joy."

Bishop chugged it down as if it was water and quickly gave it back to Kasie, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "you have to help me," Ellie's eyes darted between her friends, "you can let him approach me. At any circumstance. Especially if there's _this_ involved," she motioned vaguely to the drinks at the table.

"Oookay, Cinderella," Kasie's voice stretched in dismissal, "noted. Stop Nick Torres at any cost- OH HI NICK."

Nick finally found her sitting on the girls' table, just as Abby placed a new glass of wine on her hands, honey eyes wide in shock, "Bishop, tell me what's wrong, I'm gonna end the son of a-"

"No Nick Torres allowed at the premises, I am sorry for the inconvenience," Kasie pushed him back with both her hands until he was at the other side of the dancefloor, "miss Bishop needs some time to get her vibes checked."

"But- but what happened?" confusion marked his features, and he couldn't look away as she drank another glass of strawberry wine in one go, "was it something I _said_?"

"My job is not to explain things that I don't understand, but to comfort you both at the same time," Kasie mimicked a hug on herself, "I gave up on understanding you _crazy people_ long ago."

"But-"

"Shhh, here," Kasie placed a cocktail in his hands, the drops of cold water instantly wetting his fingers, "liquid joy."

Nick looked at Ellie one last time. She was talking hurriedly with Jack, her hands' gestures wild and tense as he tried to reevaluate what had happened that made her run away so fast.

The stars watched the scene attentively, curious about the lovers' story.

_Oh. ___

Oh, _no._

Nick glanced at his watch.

He needed to do something about it, and he needed to do it fast.

He had an idea.

°°°

Fingers tapped on the microphone in the middle of the stage.

He opened an excited smile.

"Ladies, gentlemen and little ones," said Senior almost jumping with joy, a big smile on his face, "let's make some noise to the king and queen of the party," his voice echoed across the patio, "my son and the most stunning woman in the room. Watch out, Junior, or you'll lose her," his chuckle reverberated all around, " _Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo!_ "

The world exploded in joy.

Loud cheers and whistles reverberated between the trees and vines as Tony appeared holding Ziva's hand, going straight to the dance floor while the band played the upbeat music. [They were still dressed in the ceremony attire](https://66.media.tumblr.com/290bfe31c666726bf3c39dce894e967d/bb665e107dbfb933-b6/s1280x1920/8961a6c0db894354c8717e722cc16dd9816f2123.jpg) and the big smile on their lips was the same, directed only to each other and the shining stars above. Ziva had let her hair down and now it was styled with a [fish braid adorned with baby breaths and olive leaves](https://66.media.tumblr.com/75fdb12b0059a8b029a2071619e83004/bb665e107dbfb933-18/s1280x1920/c92f0b7ef8ab948038bacb888a2366242958c060.jpg), her dark curls cascading down her exposed back. Tony playfully turned her around himself, in sync with the trumpets, eyes never leaving Ziva's. 

"Did I tell you you look beautiful tonight?" his eyes twinkled with delight, hand pulling her close to a lover's embrace, "gorgeous, gorgeous Mrs. DiNozzo."

"Not once," [she smiled wide and her brown eyes shone with mischief](https://66.media.tumblr.com/a4097e247714e93f01891a0ed1b37874/bb665e107dbfb933-b1/s1280x1920/04754dca490eca80047d6fb07b91d971c91e53e6.jpg), her hands on his chest as Tony guided them with the beat of the music.

"Liar."

His hand traveled at her sides, fingers tracing the four rows of beads that connected the dress on the back of her shoulders, gentle possessiveness coming through his touch just before Tony's lips crashed onto hers. Ziva's arms hugged his neck and her hand quickly found his short hair, pulling it softly as they inhaled in sync, making Tony _almost_ give in the growing desire of just kissing her forever under the silver moonlight. The kiss was passionate yet soft, longing, as if they had all the time in the world to cherish each other. 

They had.

Lips turned into smiles when people cheered and yelled, the music loud and clear in their ears. Their hearts beat fast and could burst in joy at any minute, they were made of light, big smiles hurting on their cheeks. Tony swirled her around in his arms, Ziva's feet leaving the ground for a moment as her giggles filled the night. 

He had finally swept her off her feet.

The moon was grining.

Tony let her go and started dancing with energy, winking at a laughing bride as he did all sorts of moves just for her. Ziva joined him and swang her hips in rhythm with the song, one hand holding the trail of her dress to her hip as she circled him with a big smile. The band continued to play with enthusiasm, trumpets mixing with loud claps and whistles from the guests, who completely left their dinner on hold to party with them.

A little girl came running from the gardens and spared no thought in joining them on the dancefloor.

Tony raised Tali to his arms and started swinging her from side to side, a big smile on his lips as Ziva shook her shoulders towards the two of them. Tali giggled in joy, holding Tony's neck as she moved her body also in sync with the beat of the song. The family danced together under the dark night sky, and even the stars were dancing as well to the miracle happening on the patio that night.

_So bring your good times and your laughter, too  
We gonna celebrate and party with you_

"Come on, McGrace," Tony extended a hand towards McGee, who was stationed at the table in front of the dancefloor, Morgan sitting atop his shoulders to see better, "dance with us."

Tony pulled him to the dancefloor, placing Tim's hands on his shoulders and putting Tali at the ground as he guided them to another table.

"I just know the hidden Travolta in you is begging to come out after all these years, boss," he opened up a smile to Gibbs, who were sitting at the table with playful eyes and a knowing smirk, watching his kids finally happy, "if you don't shake those hips, I'm gonna force you to."

"Is that a threat, DiNozzo?"

"Never, boss."

Gibbs smiled and was already standing up, "never refuse an invitation for happiness."

"Is that one of your rules?"

"Probably. I don't remember them all."

"Who does?"

" _I_ do," said a light voice closer to the ground, belonging to a little girl who smiled wide towards the agent who had just placed himself behind McGee.

"That's my girl," Gibbs squatted down to her level and tousled Tali's hair softly, receiving soft giggles in return, "come on, bird, lead the way," he used his nickname to her and turned to Tony as Tali ran to the beginning of the line in front of her father, "watch out for that one. Already doing a better job than both of you learning the rules."

"I'm scared of when she starts asking about fighting techniques," Tony smiled fondly and whistled, calling the rest of the team to follow them to the neon dancefloor.

Jimmy promptly pulled Breena and the kids, singing out loud all the lyrics of the song. Nick appeared with Kasie right after, he was smiling but constantly looking around himself, searching for someone. Ziva pulled Abby, Jack and Ellie, placing Bishop's hands on Nick's shoulders and swaying her hips to the rhythm of the song towards the start of the line.

Ellie studied the back of Nick's neck and something warm grew at her stomach a moment later. Torres hadn't realized the blonde he was searching for in the crowd was right behind him. Ellie smirked softly.

Ziva took Tony's hands out of Tali's shoulders and placed them in her hips with a big smile towards him, holding her daughter in his place, who eagerly led the line of excited guests around the dancefloor. He kissed the bride's cheek soundly and whispered something in her ear, dedicated only to her. Ziva's smile grew. 

_We're gonna have a good time tonight  
Let's celebrate, it's all right_

Tali led the way of the dance, little feet zigzagging across the bright neon tiles as the guests moved in sync with the beat of the song, cheers and laughter filling the night. They danced and danced and danced, not a care in the world while the moon kissed their skin with her light. Every guest was now standing, crammed together under the flashing disco lights as the lines got too big and they had to dissipate, dancing now in little groups but always together in one beat. Even the band had left the stage and was now at the dancefloor as well, trumpets blasting the notes as the singer's voice rang true to their souls. 

It was a beautiful night.

Hips swayed from side to side and bright eyes looked up to the shining moon above as the music progressed and filled their veins until everyone was bursting in joy. Friends and family laughed together while children jumped with arms stretched to the night sky, giggles fusing with the clear trumpet notes across the patio. Smiles of lovers crashed into one another and kisses slowed down the world while the gleaming waves nearby danced as well through the light blue seafoam scattering at the sand. 

The mountains fell inclined to all the love shared between them.

The song came to end, the loud trumpets echoing its last notes across the dancefloor and over the gardens, followed by wild claps and whistles everywhere as people laughed and cheered as one.

Ziva kissed the corner of the groom's big smile one last time and let go of Tony's arms to walk towards the stage. Senior took her hand and helped her up, her other hand carrying the long trail of her wedding dress. With a big smile, she got hold of the microphone and the guests turned to her, eyes twinkling with joy.

"I couldn't thank you enough for being here," her voice was clear and filled with happiness, "we are _so_ glad there finally was a chance of bringing all the people we love together. Please, enjoy the night, eat and drink as much as you like, and dance as if nobody is watching."

Tony jumped to the stage, enticing loud cheers as he grabbed the microphone from Ziva's hand, "the night is young and the moon is beautiful," he said with a mocked deep voice, "wonderful people," he opened a devilish grin, " _let's have some fun_."

°°°

Silver cutlery clinked to ivory plates, loud laughter and chatting muffling the white noise of the sea down below, starlight reflected in their smiles and champagne glasses, which were quickly refilled with sweet sparkling wine. The sky was dark blue and the moon tinted their skin a silver hue, casting an ethereal aura at the patio, along with the golden shadows of multiple candles placed at every table, painting their big smiles the color of blissful joy.

Tony and Ziva were seated in the middle of the long table in front of the dancefloor, chairs facing the stage and beautifully decorated with jasmine vines and fairy lights. At the back of each one was a sign, written in gold and wrapped in olive leaves.

[_**Mr.** and **Mrs. DiNozzo.**_](https://66.media.tumblr.com/a73b3db485cfba7ded99566d869ffff0/bb665e107dbfb933-0c/s640x960/279ed32f884ff96627a21a4736c04de9e44818f2.jpg)

They couldn't take their eyes off of each other. 

Tony's arm was placed at the back of her chair, his posture making his dark blue suspenders visible from one side under his beige suit jacket. Ziva's eyes darted everywhere, from his broad torso in a white shirt to his twinkling green eyes, now a honey shade with the candlelight in front of them, to this piece of color under his suit, which she had no idea the whole time of the wedding. 

She wanted to bite it off of him.

He did the same. Ziva's curls framed her soft features perfectly, the dark brown hair now with a red gleam to it under the moonlight, matching the live fire from her bright eyes. Tony let himself be drugged by her, eyes wandering across her transparent gown to her exposed slender neck, which was making his skin tingle in want. He thought he was kissing her too much, but he couldn't help himself.

He wanted to kiss every inch of her. 

"May I have everyone's attention, please," a voice echoed through the speakers, making everyone look towards the stage.

"Some of you may know me by Timothy McGee," he smiled to a whistle coming from the groom, "some of you may know me as Thom E. Gemcity," Nick and Jimmy yelled at that, making him laugh, "but tonight, I'm the best man of Anthony DiNozzo, the true James of Bond of the night. I'm sorry ladies, he's taken," sad sighs and mocked boos followed, "and he made the terrible mistake of giving me the right of the microphone for a few minutes, after years and years of mocking me and calling me names-"

"You know I say it with love, Probie," yelled Tony, a big smile on his lips.

"Too late to apologize, my friend, the speech is already written," McGee said with a chuckle, but nodded slightly in gratitude, "so let's begin explaining everyone all of Tony DiNozzo's shenanigans. Don't worry, I won't tell them about that time you impersonated a girl from a dating site only to play with my feelings for weeks until I asked her to go out on a real date and she somehow dumped me as soon as possible," he cast him a knowing smile at the loud cheers coming from the different tables, "though I need to tell you, your wife right there helped me prank you, because we knew all along it was you." 

"WHAT? the groom placed his wine glass at the table and turned to Ziva, "you helped him play with me all that time? How did I never know of this? I was pouring my shame and guilt to you for weeks."

"Exactly, you _idiot_ ," she smiled and patted his cheek, "I would never miss that opportunity. It wasn't the only time," Ziva laughed to the sky.

Tony's eyes twinkled and his heart beat fast. He loved her so much.

"I won't tell them about all the times you put super glue on my keyboard for the sole reason of cheering you up, because you're a borderline jerk," Tony shrugged, displaying a playful smirk to the roars of the guests, "or the time you got yourself trapped inside a container with Ziva for hours. Or inside the elevator. Or inside the navy yard restrooms. Yeah, you heard that correctly, in plural, like _both restrooms_. I wonder why."

"Circumstances," Tony replied through laughter coming from everywhere, "never my decision."

"Yeah, _of course_. But I'm precipitating myself. Ziva will appear later on, she is, as you can imagine by now or else you're at the wrong place, a very important character in this story. If you are at the wrong place, don't let anyone know," he whispered at the microphone, "I'm kidding, we wouldn't mind you anyway, enjoy the free food and drinks while we don't notice you." 

"Anyway, I'm rambling. I'm a writer, so please forgive me. Let's leave Ziva and the team crazy stories and my poor attempts at jokes for now and let's start at the beginning," McGee lifted his eyes from his papers and opened a wide honest smile, "let's start at that day under that September sun, almost twenty years ago, where a nervous young man met a senior agent coming directly from NCIS headquarters only to help him at a case. Let's start with the king of the night, the man of the hour and, I quote himself now, the very special agent Anthony DiNozzo, my brother in many ways."

The guests clapped loudly, fond smiles directed to the groom.

"I used to call him 'sir,'" people laughed in surprise and he couldn't help but laugh himself, "for a very long time before I was an NCIS agent, I used to call Tony DiNozzo 'sir'," the groom mocked a surprised expression to everyone's delight, "because he was so confident, and sharp-minded and held himself most proudly, my first impression of him was that he was a great agent and did everything the job demanded him to in a blink of an eye, all with the same cocky smile. I didn't know, of course, he was the jerk now amongst us."

The guests whistled loudly, clapping with laughter.

"As time went by and I got stationed as a special agent as well, I had the chance to know him better. Anthony DiNozzo is a man of many talents, but the one that makes him special is that he can't help but not be himself about everything. He'll get away with style, he'll do the job right and joke about it throughout the whole thing, he'll try to make everyone laugh before the day even begins. He is loyal, he is smart and he's _our_ pain in the ass. As soon as you get to know him better, you realize that if he's not there, there's this immense void, so big that you'll miss even his horrible jokes about your love life," McGee lifted his teary up eyes to a smirking Tony, "I missed you so much, my friend."

Tony patted his own chest, at the place of his heart, and nodded slightly.

"But I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself. So bear with me, here we are, two young agents, one getting the hang of things and geeking about everything regarding technology and one not caring about anything at all, the Travolta of the navy yard, getting the ladies, doing the job and laughing at life. Nothing to worry about, except the perks of the job and the multiple idiotic things he did that led to many, many head slaps," Gibs nodded with a side smirk, "he was confident, he was at the peak of the mountain, and nothing would bring him down. He would realize, eventually, that wasn't the peak, not near it. The peak is _now_ , the peak is _here_ , and let me tell you," he smiled to the microphone and said with a deeper voice, "to watch Anthony DiNozzo fall in love was probably the most surprising, funniest, and most excruciatingly slow thing that I've ever seen."

"I spent years, literal _years_ , waiting for these two to end up together. It was such a slow love story I ended up writing a book about them for the sole reason that I needed a happy ending. And now here we are, my best friends finally getting the love they deserved," Ziva was crying and Tony held her close, an arm around her shoulders, "when Mossad officer Ziva David stepped into our lives that day, I knew she was special. I knew she was going to fit right in, she was going to change us somehow. She was as sharp as the multiple knives she held and she was smart and loyal and strong. Tony stopped caring about bugging me daily and started to change. He started to listen. He started to talk about Ziva this, Ziva that, where is Ziva, Ziva loves to read, is Ziva here already?" he shared a chuckle with the guests, "I realized something special was happening and I was the one sitting at the cinema eating popcorn, watching them burn each other slowly until it all exploded in fire, again and again."

"I've never seen someone so dedicated to love another as Tony DiNozzo loves Ziva David. He loved her secretly, silently, though it was clear in his words, all his actions screamed her name. He searched for her eyes first after telling a joke and he listened to her as if she was always explaining him the meaning of life itself. He went to the ends of the Earth for her, one, two, three times. As many times necessary, always calling her name whenever she was not there. And when Ziva had to leave us, I had never seen him so broken," McGee clenched his jaw and took a deep breath, "the navy yard was in grief, for a part of his light, of his soul, was far away from there. At another world, on Israeli soil."

"And when little Tali arrived," McGee smiled to the girls attentively watching him, sitting on the dancefloor with wide eyes, "the world was right again. My friend had a new purpose in life, though that meant he had to end our golden times together. He had to go, to take care of _their_ daughter, and somehow I was so, so surprised with the possibility of the two of them having that gift. I had spent years trying to help them fall in love, giving advice to both of them and hoping it all one day came true, but this," he motioned around, pointing to the night sky, "this is a miracle, that's what it is. I never believed them to be an item the whole time, but I was certain they loved each other dearly. Daily. Fate was difficult, but I knew, or at least I dreamed, they would find each other again. And I'm so, so glad they did."

McGee lifted his watery eyes to his friends, who smiled through falling tears, holding each other tightly, "the story of Agent Tomy and Agent Lisa was my poor attempt of sharing with the world the most beautiful story I had the pleasure to know, but it didn't even come close to portraying the love they have for one another. My friends, I'll always remember all the afternoons we had together, all the early mornings and late Friday nights, all the laughter and all the hard times. I am so grateful for having you two in my life, and I couldn't be more glad that we're here today to give this story a happy ending. I'll never forget our years together, solving crimes and joking about everything," he wiped a tear that fell on his cheek, "the three musketeers."

Abby was sobbing loudly, grabbing wipe after wipe from Delilah's hands. She muttered his last words to herself, remembering the many times she had called them that.

The memories were bittersweet.

"Don't worry, Tony, I won't tell them about your crazy stories, or the multiple times you were under arrest or the times we thought you were dead, but I _will_ tell them this: you're the best agent I know, a great man and my best friend. You deserve all the happiness there is to find, you deserve more crazy stories and even more laughter. Ziva," he looked at her, who was smiling while wiping the tears from her cheeks, "you're my little sister. You deserve all the love he has to offer and all the paradise you'll certainly build together. You make Tony an even better man, you make him shine brighter and you complete him in every way."

"Separately you are both unique, great people and my best friends, but together, you are an unmatchable batch of goodness, with a story and love that everyone here wants to be around, emulate, and follow-along-with. I love you both very dearly," McGee took a deep breath and raised his champagne glass high to the moon, "Tony, of all the names you've called me throughout these years, the best one of them was calling me your brother," he laughed through falling tears, "I wish you all the best. With that, let's raise our glasses to the new couple," the guests raised their shining glasses under the moonlight, "to my two best friends, may you have a lifetime of dreams coming true. To Tony and Ziva."

Glasses clinked and the stars let their tears fall to the earth.

People clapped and whistled, and McGee left the stage to walk towards the table of the bride and groom. Tony grabbed his face and planted a wet kiss on his cheek, making everyone chuckle before he pulled him to a tight embrace and patted his back in affection. They shared knowing smiles and Ziva joined them, giving McGee a soft kiss on the cheek and hugging them both. The trio stayed like that for a few minutes, while the moon smiled with delight. 

Fate was kind to them at last.

A soft voice spoke at the microphone, "excuse me, everyone, I know we all need a moment to recover from that masterpiece of a speech," Jimmy cleared his throat slightly and opened up a big smile, "but I really, really want to start dancing, and I know some of you want too, so I'll make this humble toast real quick and then we'll get to the fun part of the night," people cheered at his words, "Hello, everyone," he waved to the guests, "my name is Jimmy Palmer and I am a man full of honor of being here tonight," he chuckled at his own joke but quickly recomposed himself, "you can call me Palmer, and Ziva chose _me_ , out of everyone, as her man of honor. Thank you for that, my friend."

He bowed to the bride, who sent him a wide smile in return.

"When I met Ziva David, she was already the legend she is today, the Mossad hidden weapon, the faster-than-the-wind fighter and the Israeli jewel everyone admired and was afraid of. But she wasn't this woman standing here, far from it, and I had the pleasure to see her grow to the woman she is today, with the not-so-surprising help of the so-called Very Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo," Jimmy's smile widened and Tony did the same, "I had the pleasure, just like the whole team, to watch them fall in love with each other, and it was something very special to see."

"I've indeed met Tony before she even arrived, but everything changed after Ziva David-the-liaison-officer was stationed at NCIS headquarters. You see, I was a medical assistant at the time, and all I did was stay at the autopsy cave for hours, doing my job. And when you stay days working like that, people start confiding to you, because the only ones I would tell anything about is our patients, and they usually don't have an opinion about it," Jimmy chuckled but coughed right after, "my point is, I knew them before, yes, but we weren't friends. With time, however, Tony started asking about her too much, about the things she likes and how she acts, and I noticed something was strange. And then Ziva started coming downstairs too, and I almost lost it," his eyes twinkled as Jimmy chuckled, "I wanted so bad just to spill the beans for one another, to be the matchmaker and watch fireworks explode, right in front of me."

"But I didn't do that, because we have a rule you see, never date a coworker. We try not to talk about it too much, but in that building that's a very hard thing to do, it attracts romance as if cupid is stationed there, throwing love arrows everywhere, uh, Nick?" Jimmy winked to him, but Nick did a sign for him to stop talking about it with vigor, mouthing a 'not now' to a confused Palmer, "okay, okay, it appears it is still a forbidden topic. Anyway, the important thing is that they were made for each other, and everyone that knows them, believe this to be true."

"Anthony DiNozzo convinced everyone that Ziva David was in danger, and we needed to search for her immediately, more than once. And he was right, and that's one thing that made me believe in soulmates. They felt each other's presence on this Earth as if they were being pulled to stay together. And I'm so glad they did," he cast them a knowing smile, "when I discovered Ziva was actually alive and protecting her family, my God, I had to sit down for a moment. They were constantly putting their lives at risk for the sole reason that they loved each other, and that alone made me wish I'd told them earlier about how similar their love confessions were about each other for me."

"Ziva, you are one of the most extraordinary people I know," he smiled widely to his friend, who was doing the same towards him, "you are kind, and under that marble shield of yours, you care _so much_. You care for the well-being of others more than you care about yours, so never, never, my friend, dare to call yourself selfish. You are special and you deserve the world, you deserve a beautiful love story - like you wished me the day I told you I was going to get married, I'll never forget that - and you deserve pure, endless happiness. You have a very special man at your side, and he couldn't compliment you better in all the aspects that make you so special."

"I wish you two years and years of happiness, joy, and love, even more than you've experienced today, surrounded by your friends and family. Anyone who could be half as happy as this couple is would be happy all the days of his life, with love to spare," Jimmy raised his glass of sparkling champagne, the guests following him with big smiles, "I can't believe I am standing here today congratulating you two as a married couple, but I couldn't be more glad. My favorite love story finally had the fireworks it deserved, after many ups and downs, and I'm glad fate has brought you here. May you have a life full of love. To the bright memories still to come, for I know the future is shining for you," he tipped his head towards the bride and groom, "to Tony and Ziva."

Glasses clinked one more time and their smiles matched, hearts racing with the thrill of happiness embracing them from everywhere.

Ziva gave him a tight hug with watery eyes, the moonlight reflecting their matching smiles. Tony pulled him to an embrace, ruffling his hair with affection, "not bad, Gremlin, not bad at all," they laughed together under the starry sky, veins warm with beaming joy and blissful peace.

At last.

Love was all around them.

At last.

°°°

Low jazz played in the background while people chatted and laughed to the sky, glasses of sweet wine on their hands once dinner was finished. The lanterns hanging from the pergola between the jasmine vines cast a golden hue to the place, painting their smiles the color of reminiscent sunlight. Children's giggles echoed under the moon, the wind carrying their laughter towards the relentless sea and beyond, the sound honey to everyone's ears. Joy filled the garden, spilling everywhere, over the tables and waiting to hit the dancefloor. The stars shone brightly as ever.

A man stood up with his hands in his pockets and looked around. A soft smile made the way to his lips once he saw nothing but undeniable happiness. He glanced at Tony, sitting a few chairs next to him, and the groom was laughing out loud to the sky, an arm holding Ziva's shoulders throughout all evening. Tony stopped laughing and somehow sensed him watching, turning to him with a big grin. He nodded once and Gibbs cleared his throat, taking his champagne glass off the table.

"May I have everyone's attention, please," he said calmly, and his voice echoed across the patio, loud and clear. There was no need to go to the stage, everyone stopped talking immediately and looked at him, some even surprise he was going to speak at all.

"Here's to us, one more toast," he motioned to his glass and tipped his head slightly, "and then we'll pay the bill," people shared his smile, soft giggles filling the air.

Gibbs took a deep breath and looked to the stars, so many stars, against the dark blue sky.

"I am a man of few words, but this is a very special day. This is the day I get to experience my daughter and son promising to love each other for the rest of their lives. I get to experience the living proof that family does not come only by blood, but also by choice. And destiny. And friendship," the team nodded as one, his words ringing true to their souls, "that love exists, and it comes in many forms, from the involuntary action of falling in love with your best friend to sending your only child overseas because you knew the one person who would keep her safe was the one that never truly left."

"As soon as I met DiNozzo, I knew he was _something_. Something good, and he knows we don't waste good. Yeah, sometimes he needs a good shaking to come back to reality in order to do the job right, but he turned out to be _exactly_ the man I was hoping he would. One of my best agents, with a good heart and whom I can proudly refer to as my own son," he nodded to Tony, who was clenching his jaw tightly, trying to hold back the tears, "I'm very glad you arrested me that day on Baltimore PD, but there's a story for another time."

Gibbs chuckled and his eyes darted from the stars beyond to the young couple sitting next to him.

"And then a certain Israeli just appeared at my door, with nothing but her hidden knives, honed talent and a sharp mind," he smiled to Ziva, who giggled in return, "she tried to prove herself for us, though she never needed to. I knew just from her stance that day that she would fit right in, she held the promise of a great future with the team. And again, I am very grateful I got to see her grow to become the woman she is today, strong and beautiful, holding her chin high the same way. A trained soldier was sent to me that day, but I received the gift of a daughter instead."

Ziva was sobbing, though her smile was bright and wide.

"And these two, oh these two," Gibbs smiled fondly, shaking his head, "they got into trouble more often than not, and always because of each other. Trying to save one another or other people together, and they became more than partners. They became friends. And since the first day, I could feel it in my gut, in my soul, a shift in the air. They complimented each other too well, they were two halves of the same coin, the grew stronger together. And I knew, just as I knew they would turn out to be great as individual people, that they would eventually see the greatness in each other. See that missing piece of their souls sitting every day at the table across from them. They acted like a married couple since the beginning, to be honest," the guests laughed and he couldn't help but smile as well, "it was inevitable, and I guess we all knew that."

He tipped his head towards the couple, a secretive smile dancing at the corner of his lips.

"My name is Leroy Jethro Gibbs and most may know me as only Gibbs," he nodded slightly, casting a sideways smirk, "I'm also the man that had to watch my two best agents fall for one another over the years and do nothing, trying to make things as neutral as possible. I was wrong. I should've told them as soon as noticed the long glances and constant questions about each other, because that would've saved me a lot of trouble," he chuckled with the guests, "but if one thing, I am very glad it all led us here, to this amazing place and this most beautiful night."

"Those who truly know me know that I'm a man hard to impress. But I can tell you this with blind certainty: both Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David impressed me little time after meeting them, and that's how I knew they were special. I am here standing in front of you because both of them saved my life on different occasions, not thinking twice and acting with a dangerous loyalty I did not deserve," his eyes were fixed at them, steady and twinkling with pride, "I am the man I am today because of my time with them, watching them grow and helping them learn, guiding their steps as they guided mine. And for that, I am thankful," Gibbs raised his glass slightly, to which Tony nodded with a knowing smirk.

"Sometimes I wish I could freeze the picture, and save it from the funny tricks of time. Sometimes I wish we could all go back to our times together, to our wonderful adventures, stop them from slipping through my fingers," Gibbs opened a sad smile, the bittersweet nostalgia stinging his tongue, "but what is important now is that you have each other, and I wouldn't dare of wishing you anything less than unending joy. You taught me that love is unexpected, kind, and fierce. You taught me that I was wrong, that there was no way of keeping you apart."

"The bright man of honor," he glanced at Palmer, whose smile widened instantly, "asked me something this morning and as soon as he did, I knew I had no choice. That idea was too strong to avoid it."

Gibbs inhaled deeply and looked to the dark sky, feeling the slight ocean breeze caressing his skin. He opened up a smile to the stars, nodding to himself.

"Once, years ago, I needed to retire for personal reasons, reasons that still echo from time to time. When I had to do that, there was no second thought about the man filling my place, guiding my people the way I thought it was right. There was no doubt at all, he had earned his place with his courage and wit, through many head slaps and bullets fired. Anthony DiNozzo was the right man for the job, and he performed it beautifully," he smiled fondly, nodding once, "and that's why, Tony, the place is yours," he raised his glass towards a stunned groom, "the job is yours whenever you feel like it, whenever you hear your soul asking for it once again, because men like us are meant for this. We are meant to fight for what's right, and you're meant to be there. You're meant to have your team again."

Tony's mouth was opened slack and he blinked a few times, traitorous tears wetting his cheeks. He couldn't believe his boss's words, his heart beating fast with the chance of making another dream come true. A hidden dream, an impossible dream. A wish his heart desired in secret, not letting the world know about it. The world seemed to slow down once again.

His lips opened in a wide grin.

Gibbs smirked with pride.

"Even with all my wishes, time doesn't stop. I am growing old, and I'm beginning to realize life is good in many ways. You two taught me best I'm must not waste any effort against what destiny throws my way."

He looked at Jack, who was staring at him with a broad smile and bright eyes. Gorgeous eyes. Eyes that widened slightly when he grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing her palm softly in front of everyone. Gibbs smiled, his eyes twinkling at her surprise, quickly replaced by her face lightening up.

"I declare in front of everyone tonight that I'm planning of retiring soon, because I learned with someone," he kissed the back of her hand slowly, "that life has many surprises, but nothing compares to the feeling of loving and having the certainty you're being loved in return," his eyes were fixed at Sloane, twinkling blue eyes holding the promise of something beautiful as Gibbs smiled fondly, "I have walked some strange and lonely treks, and I couldn't thank you two enough for teaching the most precious lesson of all: there's no fighting love. I stand now at the crossroad with no desire to run, and I've never had this much clarity in my heart. Life is good, life is kind and life is meaningful."

He kissed her hand once, two, three times, slowly, taking his time. Then he winked at Jack, holding their joining hands tightly and never letting go.

"Let's raise our glasses to Tony and Ziver, I wish all the joy you could ever have. May you be partners for life," he raised his glass with a wide smile, toasting it to the stars.

People to clapped and cheered, drinking their own cold, bubbling champagne.

Gibbs stayed there, a secretive smile on his lips. The bright moon shone high, his white hair silver under the starlight. The guests eyed him with admiration and interest, waiting for his actions. The chilly ocean breeze bristled the back of the necks of some, casting that unnatural feeling that something important was about to unfold. There was only the sound of the wind, everyone holding their breaths as their attention was focused at the man standing proudly next to a beaming blond woman.

A moment passed and time slowed down, and even the waves stopped crashing for a second as if also holding their breaths. The birds stopped singing and now looked at him, tilting their heads. The trees stopped swaying and the stars stopped dancing, watching him closely. 

The whole world stopped.

He inhaled deeply once and took out a small piece of paper from the inner pocket of his dark gray suit, holding in front of him.

"There's no hurry any more when all it's said and done," Gibbs opened a mischievous grin as his voice was the only sound that echoed at the patio, "I have a set of rules for myself and for the others that find them interesting, to ease our path throughout this life. The man of honor of the night," he glanced at Jimmy, who opened up a bright smile, as if knowing what was coming next, "asked me about one of my rules earlier today, and if it was still valid," his voice was clear and steady, resonating across the patio as he read the note he held up confidently.

"Rule number 12 - Never date a co-worker."

He lifted his eyes to the team, all staring at him with eyebrows raised and surprised faces.

The moon laughed with delight, sensing what was about to unfold.

Leroy Jethro Gibbs smiled.

"I guess that was a rule I made before I knew what love really meant. That it goes beyond affection," he motioned to the bride and groom holding each other close, "that love is loyalty and strength and purpose. This was before I met Tony and Ziva and before I witnessed their story. Before I knew how blind I was," his rare smile widened and he stopped for a second before continuing.

"There's another rule I'd like to share with you tonight."

Gibbs took out a small lighter from his pocket, and some of the guests gasped in surprise.

"Rule number 51 - Sometimes you're wrong."

He set the note on fire, letting it turn to smoke in his fingers before turning his eyes back to the team.

The world seemed to restart all over again.

Ellie felt her eyes search for Nick and couldn't help but stare at him for a whole full minute. He was doing the same, his dark brown eyes wide and jaw clenched. His heart started racing, tripping over itself until a big smile found his lips, making him wink at a surprised young agent. She blinked.

Tony was the first to yell in joy, raising his hand as a fist pump towards the sky, standing up with euphoria. He grabbed the cheeks of a stunned bride and kissed her with all he had, his smile crashing onto her lips as her hands found his at her face. They rested their foreheads together a second later, chuckles of joy spilling from their hearts as their eyes twinkled with emotion.

The smoke trailed towards the moon, leaving no trace the rule had even existed. 

The patio exploded in cheers.


	10. The game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how."_  
>  \- Rhett Butler

_POP._

Champagne spilled over the brim of the bottle, the bubbles covering his fingers.

People cheered loudly while he filled two glasses with the golden sparkling liquid and, with a wide grin, gave one to Ziva.

"The best is yet to come," Tony said with playful eyes as he raised his glass towards her with a wink.

Ziva tilted her head and her eyes softened. As she crossed her arm around his, the bride mouthed ' _I love you_ ' and giggles escaped her lips as they drank the champagne together in sync, sharing smiles only with each other.

The guests whistled and clapped, sending good wishes their way, their eyes twinkling with the excitement of a great night about to start. There were no worries or concerns, only joy and the refreshing feeling of peace filling the air. The band played background Glenn Miller and glasses clinked, laughter echoing all around. There were no clouds at the dark blue sky and the stars were displayed for all to see, flashing their light as if sending little kisses from up above. The transparent ocean crashed at the bay, the waves already dancing to the lover's melody, seafoam glistening under the silver moonlight.

It was a lovely night.

Ziva tapped Tony's finger away from the white icing covering the wedding cake, chuckling as he cast her a mocked pout. It was a mix of salted caramel and chocolate raspberry truffle, made by the bride and some of her aunts the day before, [three naked cake tiles with specks of gold and decorated with sage and olive leaves](https://66.media.tumblr.com/90ce961108ad9889eecb12cf00325826/bb665e107dbfb933-ca/s1280x1920/62687cd122532a2784697a66f74f57f6424a00d3.jpg). Ziva guided his hand as they cut the first piece of it, big smiles on their faces and lots of cheers coming from the guests. 

A hand smashed into Tony's face, cake covering his features as Ziva burst out laughing, shaking her own hand to get rid of the remaining cake she had shoved in his face. The groom wiped the pieces off his eyes, turning to Ziva with a feral grin. He could hear laughter all around them, and gave her no warning as he embraced and tried to kiss her.

"Kiss meee," he rubbed his cheeks filled with cake on Ziva's, arms griping her tight when she tried to dodge him, "kiss meeee, you made a vooow."

"Stop."

He grabbed her cheeks and kissed her all over, cake covering everything, "you taste delicious."

"Tony, stop," Ziva said through laughing tears, trying to back away but failing, "stop licking me."

"Well, you started," he gave her a final peck on the lips and stepped away, licking his thumb while the guests roared with laughter, "I wasn't talking about the cake, though."

Tony winked at her and Ziva blushed slightly, grabbing the piece remaining at the plate to throw his way, to the guests' amusement. Tony dodged it and it fell on the ground, making him laugh until he was crying with joy. Ziva huffed an annoyed grunt but was soon laughing with him, cleaning her hair and dress as Tony licked his fingers one by one, watching her.

The stars shone brightly as the elegant affair turned into casual playfulness between the two lovers. 

Hapinness was undeniable.

"Okay, how much action can we get here?"

"We're at a wedding, Kasie."

"No, I get _them_ ," Kasie motioned to the bride and groom laughing near the wedding cake, "but they _did_ wait more than a decade to get this going. How much will we have to wait for the other lovebirds?"

Abby looked at where Kasie was obviously motioning with her chin, where Ellie was talking to Jack and Gibbs, a carefree smile on her face as she remade Victoria's braid, who was sitting on her lap. They all looked happy, as if a vacation was much overdue for the team. 

"Pssst," said Kasie, shaking her chin with vigor towards the other side of the ballroom.

Jimmy seemed to be sharing a very funny joke, to which McGee laughed to the sky then bent his own body forward, tears in his eyes. Nick was sitting next to them, but seemed almost childish while he drank cold beer with a straw, face furrowed and eyes set, staring directly at Ellie across the dancefloor. He gave a fake laugh to Jimmy, not paying attention, until he was back at her again, eyes narrowed in concern.

"Okay, a bit psycho," Abby replied, nodding to Kasie who raised both her eyebrows, "but that's the point. Tony and Ziva spent years playing with boundaries, flirting nonstop, and yet nothing happened until the angels got tired of it all and finally Tali appeared."

The little girl had run towards her parents, and now helped them distribute the cake between the guests.

"But what about now that there's no rule number 12? Gibbs seems to be getting some action of his own," Kasie did her little happy dance, raising her shoulders up and down as Abby looked at Gibbs, whose arm was currently embracing Jack's while he kissed her temple, "besides, drunk Nick there, drunk Nick can do wonders and embarrassments the world has never seen before."

Abby glanced back at Nick, who now asked for a new drink for the waitress, and when it arrived, he couldn't get where his mouth was, missing how to use the straw right.

"And I guess he's not far from it."

"Okay, so what if," Kasie rubbed her hands together and opened a smile as she plotted the rest of the night, "what if tipsy Nick says something stupid like, I don't know, 'Ellie, I've been in love with you since the day we met, please be mine forever'," Abby huffed a laugh, "then I win the bet and you have to do the lab's inventory for a whole week."

Abby raised her eyebrows and opened a wicked grin.

"Deal," they shooked hands, "and if they just dance or have fun and nothing important happens, let's say, he kisses her, then I'll have the lab for my own for a whole week," Abby smiled wide, the excitement clear in her eyes, "and it'll turn back to Abby's style for that same period."

Kasie's dark eyes glinted under the moonlight and the two women laughed together, their secret plot promising given the night about to start. They clinked their glasses with wide smiles, cold champagne sweetening their tongues as the bubbles exploded in sync.

The stars glinted as well.

°°°

Ziva's scream of surprise was muffled by the guests' roar of clapping to the loud tambourines. 

The band played the tune with ecstatic energy, the fast rhythm of the guitar intertwining beautifully with the trumpets' steady cadence, sound blaring all around as everyone clapped, whistled and cheered along with the melody. Ziva gasped in surprise when she felt her chair being lifted to the air, her hands grabbing it tightly as if she was about to fall from it at any minute. Her cousins were strong, but she didn't trust them for one second. She saw from the corner of her vision someone also being lifted to the air, but Tony looked a lot more in the mood of being carried around. 

He opened a big smile to her, clapping together with the song and motioned for her to the same, encouraging the people to increase the noise for them.

The guests laughed and cheered, clapping in sync with the beat, their energy spreading across the patio as they yelled in joy louder and louder.

Tony tapped her hand and Ziva let go of the arm of the chair, joining him at clapping and snapping her fingers in unison with the trumpets, trusting the men carrying her chair to not let her fall to the ground. The groom managed to get closer to her and stole her hand for a quick kiss on her palm, to which she giggled in delight to the stars up above. The song continued, the children jumping around them as the chairs moved up and down with the rhythm of the music, the energy contagious to everything around them.

The claps echoed across the patio, the trumpets carrying their laughter to the night sky as everyone whistled and danced in sync with the beat. The ocean also danced from far below, the strong waves crashing the bay in unison with the cackling of the many candles placed at every table, the firelight dancing under the silver moonglow until every dust and rust was made of song.

Ziva laughed to the stars, Tony's eyes wrinkled by his big smile as they joined hands and moved together, their chairs in the air as long as the trumpets were blaring.

They had never felt this happy.

They became the song, the laughter, the love.

They were infinite.

A roar of cheers reverberated across the patio and beyond the gardens as the band sounded the last notes in a stampede, the song ending as the guests laughed in a moment of raw glory. The soft glow of the lanterns hanging at the palm trees kissed their skin, making their twinkling eyes shine with a golden hue. Ziva waited for her chair to be placed at the ground before throwing herself in Tony's arms, who welcomed her gladly, and soon her feet were up in the air again, being swept around as he laughed with her to the night sky.

Their smiles crashed briefly, his hands holding Ziva steady by her waist as she slid down his body until her feet touched the floor, fingers never leaving Tony's short hair. They chuckled in joy, and the guests clapped and cheered until Ziva's cheeks were hurting and all she could think about was light. She was shining so brightly, Tony couldn't look away, his big smile stamped on his lips until he kissed her again. And again and again, not caring about the many yells around them, only noticing her. 

His bride.

His _wife_.

Finger tapped the microphone, calling everyone's attention.

"What a great way to start the night," said McGee, a big smile directed to the couple who finally looked at him up the stage, their twinkling eyes filled with happiness, "but there's many more to come. Please, let's all take a seat," his tone went down but his whisper was amplified by the speakers, "we have some secrets to uncover."

The guests cheered and made their way back to the [three long tables placed at each side of the wide dancefloor](https://66.media.tumblr.com/c936898edd264213653fce7c38fb7252/bb665e107dbfb933-b1/s1280x1920/22761545b9d952207d1234db21bf1b60f093c206.jpg). They panted as the adrenaline melted in their veins, their laughter's echo carried by the ocean wind beyond the dark night sky to the still hidden morning. Some people went to the bar, Nick included, though his eyes didn't leave the blonde whom he was supposed to sit next to. She seemed to be having fun with the rest of the team, laughing with Jack, so he looked away and asked for a new bourbon.

Ellie's eyes turned sad when she figured Nick had finally let her be and was now sitting by the bar, smiling to the pretty bartender and with his back turned to her. Her chest started to ache with an unknown feeling, making her uneasy. She only let her eyes be drifted elsewhere once McGee started to talk again at the microphone, his voice reverberating at the patio as even the band sat down to enjoy the moment.

"Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo," he said as people cheered loudly to the way McGee had called them, "please, take a seat."

He motioned to two single chairs placed in the middle of the dance floor, backs turned to each other, to which Ziva giggled once Tony sat behind her and managed to steal a quick kiss on her cheek when she wasn't looking. The dance floor tiles were lined with neon lights and a disco ball swayed over their heads, casting the couple a silver glow along with the many lanterns and candles placed around them. Jimmy approached them and smiled to McGee, waiting for his instructions.

"Okay, Jimmy, please give Ziva's shoe to Tony," Ziva chuckled once Jimmy [helped her take out her shinning heel and give it to Tony](https://66.media.tumblr.com/77faeaf5858d5148321f1bd0c0cb7a09/bb665e107dbfb933-8f/s1280x1920/88fb0789a75ce714f3acc20f460d21ecb2f6396d.jpg), who pressed it close to his chest and faked a meltdown. Laughter echoed all around.

"Alright, Jimmy, please do the same with Tony's shoe," Jimmy got to the groom's side, who smelled his own shoe and feigned a faint, to which Ziva just rolled her eyes and joined the other people laughing.

"Okay, great," McGee rubbed his hands together with a big smile as Jimmy bowed to him and got to his chair at the middle table, "ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the best game of the night. Yeah, you guessed it, the shoe game."

People cheered in return while McGee took a small paper from his pocket, "I am going to ask a question to the couple of the night," Ziva let her neck fall to Tony's shoulder across her chair for a moment, making everyone swoon, "and to each question, they will raise either Ziva's shoe or Tony's shoe to answer it. You guys ready?"

Ziva yelled towards him, raising both shoes to the sky. Tony inhaled deeply and impersonated a boxer going into the ring. Their eyes shone with joy, not a drop of concern in them.

"Okay, let's start with the easy ones," McGee smiled at his best friends looking at him with excited smiles, "who's the better cook?"

Ziva thought for a moment while the guests yelled their opinion to them, making her laugh. She peeked at Tony's answer and he already had a shinning heel raised to the sky.

"I guess... me?" she raised her own shoe with a chuckle.

"Of course, you," Tony replied not looking at her, but with her shoe still raised up, "remember that time when you invited everyone except me to have dinner at your house, and I found out about that when we were locked in a container the whole afternoon?"

"Hmmm, a have a very vague memory about that," she remembered every detail, from the way his eyes had shone when they discovered a box full of Bollywood movies, to his blind stupidity when he started a fire inside a metal compartment. 

"Yeah, and then you said that if we get out of there, you'd cook dinner for me," he opened a big smile and his eyes twinkled, "and after that, I would have done anything you asked for if you'd promise to cook for me again, sweet cheeks."

"Really?" Ziva scoffed, "and you're telling me this now, after... I don't know, fifteen years?!"

"We were candles burning alone, Dah-veed," he let down the shoe and turned to see her smiling profile, "I'm talking about the new us, Ziva. You know, the post-elevator us, the open book, baring our souls, calling each other all types of personal-"

"Have you really got tired of memorizing film catchphrases that now you're quoting yourself?"

Tony smiled, "so you lied," Ziva smiled, turning to him, "you remember every second of it, don't you, Mossad?"

McGee cleared his throat at the microphone, making the guests laugh and Tony return to his position behind her. Ziva was still smiling.

"Okay, moving on," Tim raised his eyebrows to the couple, which stopped flirting and turned to him, waiting for the question, "who is the messy one?"

Ziva stood up, shaking Tony's shoe in the air, "when I finally went home back at Christmas, the house was a complete wreck. You could've at least cleaned the bathroom."

"Had I known I was going to have guests at three o'clock in the morning I'm sure I would have, woman," Tony retorted but raised his own shoe as well, "besides, there was a child who couldn't stop asking for you for the whole week."

"If someone saw the first drawer of your desk when we were agents, they would have probably puke on the spot."

"My favorite things were in there," he also stood up and pouted at Ziva.

"Yeah, like pizza?!"

"For sure, pizza."

"And on my first day of work, you were brushing your teeth with your finger. Using a glass of tap water inside the files drawer."

"That's not messy, that's just gross."

"Exactly, I was horrified."

"And yet you ended up _marrying me_."

Ziva blinked.

Tony opened a slow smile and she knew that even winning the round, she had lost the fight.

"Love is blind, they say," Ziva scoffed at his grin and sat down again puffing, "and the heart wants what it wants."

"I thought you said you had never told me that," Tony sat as well, sprawling his long limbs with a wide grin, "I just knew you had."

"Well, _now_ I have, you hobo."

The guests had divided into two teams and now yelled at every single retort of them, whistling loud. McGee tapped the microphone, shaking his head.

"I knew this wasn't the best idea," he looked at Jimmy and he was bawling with laughter at their table, a hand on his stomach as he looked towards the night sky, "but, let's get moving. Who's in a better mood in the morning?"

"HA," Ziva raised her shoe, the jewelry of it glittering under the starlight, "there's only one answer for that."

"I don't understand how waking up at 0500 is a thing you're proud of."

"It's better to see the sun rising than shave your beard at the navy yard."

"You really want to expose me to all these people, don't you?" Tony laughed but raised Ziva's shoe, back turned to her and voice clear, "the boss is here."

"Not your boss anymore, DiNozzo," Gibbs replied, raising his champagne glass, "besides, we just had to look at you once to know what had happened the night before."

Tony scoffed and put a hand on his chest, but his smile was big when he spoke, "you better have a great question hidden in there, Probie. One that doesn't involve roasting me."

"I'm sorry, Tony, but I think we already know the answer to the next one," said McGee with a smile, eyes reading the following question, "who is the bigger baby when sick?"

"Oh, _common_."

Tony threw both shoes at the ground and grunted, holding his head in his hands.

Ziva raised his shoe without saying a word, a wicked smirk on her lips.

"Who's better with directions?"

"Okay, now we're talking," Tony got both shoes from the floor and raised his own, waiting for Ziva's response as he smiled to the guests.

"That's absurd," Ziva glimpsed at his answer, raising her shinning heel instead, "remember that time you stole the map from my hands and we ended up an hour late to get to the crime scene? Lost in the forest until it was dark while I got to the right place using only my skills as a navigator-"

"That was only one time and long ago, Dah-veed," he smiled to the sky, back still turned away from her, "and as I remember correctly, we weren't lost. We were just waiting for the night to fall so we could gaze at the stars together. I was trying to impress you, that's why."

"Yeah, in your dreams, DiNozzo," he beamed once he noticed the smile in her voice.

"Tony, this one is for you, don't waste it," McGee's voice turned low at the microphone while the guests laughed at the fake suspense, "who's the better driver?"

"HELL YEAH."

Tony stood up, raising his brown leather shoe up and pointing at Ziva while he jumped in front of her.

"HAA! HAAAA!" he shimmered his shoulders, "no escaping that question, Dah-veed, you KNOW the answer."

"Yeah, and I don't know what you two are insinuating," she motioned between Tony manically jumping in front of her and McGee bursting out with laughter at the stage, "we certainly have different definitions of 'better driver'."

"Yeah, tell that to my eight ghosts, Ziva, the ones I had to say goodbye to because I was in the car the times you were driving."

"You have always complained about it, but I don't see the point. You go as fast as possible; when something gets in your way, you turn.”

“You’re quoting Better Off Dead," Tony stopped dancing in front of her, "I told you to watch that years ago,” his eyebrows raised up when he realized she had actually watched it. 

And a smile opened up when he remembered he had said that same thing before.

"And what do you mean by eight lives? Is Anthony DiNozzo a kitty cat for god's sake?" she beamed while he adjusted his lapel, "I'm the best driver I know, if one prefers not to go with me, they're just not prepared for the ride."

"We prefer staying alive, that's why," Tony didn't wait for her answer and sat down again, but soon turned his neck to look at her, "Dah-veed?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you just make a linguistic joke?"

"Next question," Jimmy whistled for the guests to tone down there chatting and loud laughter, "who's the better dancer?"

Neither of them raised their shoes.

Tony pursed his lips, frowning as if this was the most important question until this moment. He peeped to see what was Ziva's answer and couldn't help but smile when he saw she was doing the same, waiting for his response first. The warmth in his heart grew, spreading towards his fingers.

They _were_ made for each other.

He shrugged and raised the shinning heel and the brow leather shoe together, a smile on his face.

She did the same, giggling.

"We actually ARE James Bond and his Bond girl, you see," Tony winked at her and they all laughed, "it's in our blood somehow."

"Shut up, you idiot," Ziva smiled and Tony's grin widened when she started to blush.

"Also one we already know the answer to, but I had to throw it in there," McGee cleared his throat again and his eyes danced with joy, looking at Tony, "who snores the loudest?"

The groom's hand shot up holding an elegant high heel, shaking his head with eyes closed, trying to fight back the smile on his lips.

"What do you mean you know the answer?" Ziva scoffed and turned to Tony, crossing her arms and stomping her feet once she saw what he was doing, "how indiscreet, Tony. I don't snore."

"Have you ever been awake while you were asleep to hear it?"

"What kind of question is _that_ ," laughter and cheers echoed while Ziva tried and failed to fight back the lazy grin on his face, "you're asking for trouble, mon petit pois."

"Oh, our undercover mission. Fun times, golden times, sleepless nights because you snored like a drunk sailor with emphysema," he stood up and crossed his arms as well, mimicking her with a playful smile, "lots of action that night. We should do it again sometime."

"I hate you."

"No you don't," he winked at her again and sat down once more, replying only to her from over his shoulder, "I can't wait to not sleep with you, sweet cheeks."

"Oh, shut up."

Tony's laughter echoed around them when he smiled to the sky, the wind carrying it to the shining stars above.

"Who's more likely to end up in jail-"

The groom raised Ziva's shoe with such determination the chairs startled and the bride felt hers bend forward.

"I'm not likely to end up in jail-"

"You're the crazy Israeli chick with impulse issues."

"Hold on, Tony," McGee interrupted him, casting them a side smirk, "I didn't finish this one. Who's more likely to end up jail... for defending the other one's honor?"

"Oh, shoot."

Ziva smiled wide and raised his shoe up slowly, nodding to McGee as she mouthed a 'thank you' for him. 

"Yeah, I guess I'm stubborn like that," Tony raised his own shoe, eyes reflective for a moment.

Ziva turned her neck towards him and kissed his cheek softly, making Tony smile. 

A little girl escaped Abby's grip and came running towards them, her mouth dirty with chocolate cake. Ziva managed to clean it quickly, just before Tali went running towards her dad and jumped in his lap. The guests smiled at the girl's determination and Tony rocked her, giving both shoes for Tali to hold.

"Okay, last questions, so let's get to where everyone is interested to know," McGee smiled at them, "who said 'I love you' first?"

Tony whispered something in Tali's ear and she giggled before raising a shoe.

Ziva followed, a bright smile on her lips.

A roar of claps and cheers echoed at the patio, across the gardens and tables.

Up in the air, raised to the sky, was a glittering high heel, it's sparkles shimmering under the silver starlight. The moon laughed in delight, and many people came forward to try to listen to the story of _how_ Ziva was the one that said the three precious words first. The bride whispered something to her family and Tali smiled broadly towards her. Tony only cast her a secretive smirk and not said a word, nodding to McGee to go on. 

Even the stars were eager to know the whole story. 

But it was a story for another time.

"And finally, the one that I wanted to know the most," said McGee, folding his paper and putting it back inside his pocket, "who made the first move?"

Ziva giggled, her mouth opening in a bright smile once she turned around and found Tony's eyes. They were twinkling, and the groom raised an eyebrow. He whispered something at Tali's ear and she nodded, taking both shoes and lifting them up towards the shining stars.

"We don't talk about that summer," she said with a soft voice and a broad smile, chin raised in challenge to her uncle.

McGee huffed, shaking his head when the answer didn't come.

The patio exploded in cheers.

°°°

Ziva was drinking her cold champagne at the bridesmaids' table when she started to hear the soft singing of birds. She looked around, eyes darting from the broad olive trees down at the garden to the tall palm trees slowly swaying in the wind, but there were no birds visible. She turned back to Abby, who seemed to have heard it as well, a frown forming on her face. 

The bride let down her glass when her eyes landed on the stage, searching for Tony.

The song came from the band, who were all smiling at her.

"What is going on-"

Strong hands grabbed her arms and pulled her up, leading Ziva away from the long table to the edge of the dance floor. She recognized Jimmy and McGee at her sides, who only laughed at her confusion, guiding her to an empty chair placed at the other side of the dance floor, facing the stage. The band blasted the song from the speakers, a strong woman singing the main voice with all the strength and energy needed. The notes reverberated all around, calling everyone's attention to the stage. Many guests chuckled in surprise.

"Do you guys know what's going on- _oh my God he did not._ "

As she sat down, Ziva noticed Breena and Kasie smiling broadly as they hang a sign between two palm trees on each side of the stage. 

Her eyes widened.

"Will someone please explain to me what's going on," Ziva searched everywhere for him, a soft frown in her forehead as she tried to understand why the song was so vaguely familiar. 

She read the sign again, her heart skipping a beat.

**Tony and Ziva - the whole story.**

Her eyes landed on the figure who had just jumped on the stage and was grinning at her, his eyes twinkling.

Tony's voice echoed on the speakers, somehow a smooth narrative over the upbeat song still playing, but he wasn't holding a microphone. He was _wearing one_ , as if he was about to _actually_ perform. Ziva covered her mouth opened agape and couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the guests cheered and cheered, "please take a seat and enjoy the show. No introductions necessary, we all know how every good story starts."

Tony then jumped to the dance floor, winking at her once before looking around him, waiting for the audience to calm down. He combed his hair and adjusted his suit, impersonating the professional performer in a blink with his confident attitude. His eyes lifted up to the moon and he inhaled deeply, opening a wide smile. 

Then he looked straight at Ziva, eyes twinkling.

For a moment, it was as if there were only them under the dark night sky.

Ziva held his stare, opening a smile as well.

Somehow, even after all this time, he still managed to send her heart racing. 

She had no idea about what was to follow.

Tony blew her a kiss and turned around, back away from her as his head looked to both his sides. He whistled loudly, calling someone.

Three men appeared, mimicking his stance - feet placed apart confidently, hands together and chin raised up, all backs turned away from Ziva. 

There was indeed no need for introductions, those shadows had walked beside Ziva for many years.

Her friends.

"Once upon a time," Tony's voice echoed all around and a roar of cheers exploded when a spotlight was turned on, focusing on his back, next to Torres, Palmer and Tim, "there was a young boy. And a young girl."

Johnny came running towards the stage, wearing a cap turned backward and his [little maroon suspenders down](https://66.media.tumblr.com/20a7b8ddf338122e803f72e139075c07/577e86abae9df654-f1/s640x960/ab9824aa64fc44ffb726ac5b1373bd2d3743ee9e.jpg). He stopped in the middle and crossed his arms, raising his chin in defiance to the audience. 

They howled in return.

Tali appeared right after, wearing Ziva's own olive green military jacket, which only made Ziva smile by the way it was too big on her. She jumped next to her cousin, crossing her arms with her back turned to him and raising her chin towards Ziva as well. She opened a challenging smile.

A familiar smile.

Ziva's smile.

"Of course, Anthony DiNozzo and Ziva David will only meet later on," Tony turned around and rubbed his hands together, lifting one eyebrow, "so let's focus on the life of young, naive, pubescent Tony here and give wonderful Ziva goodbye. For now," he bent down and Tali kissed his cheek, running out of the stage waving goodbye for her mother.

Ziva's mouth was opened in surprise, chest warm by how cute the mini them were on the dance floor.

"Okay, so, it all began with," Jimmy placed a chair at the corner of the stage and Tony sat down, a table in front of him as he opened a newspaper McGee had just passed his way, "my inexorable ability to swoon women."

The scene unfolded in front of her, the band blasting the song as Nick, Jimmy and McGee joined Tony at the table, all opening newspapers to cover their faces as new people appeared at the dancefloor.

Their feet and shoulders were the only sign they were also hearing the song, moving in sync with the beat as all the boys passed the pages of the newspapers as if in a Sunday afternoon at the park.

Victoria came running to the dance floor, her [cream-colored dress swaying around her](https://66.media.tumblr.com/68fda452e729c300ac68d60f77a1cb5d/577e86abae9df654-44/s1280x1920/a357c2922633b773c7ba2e75a9299aa6d0a8690e.jpg) as she met Johnny, batting her eyelashes at him. He put an arm around her shoulders, but she quickly shrugged it off and left him hanging to run towards Breena who stretched a hand to her at one corner of the stage. Johnny pouted, crossing his arms in annoyance as he kicked invisible boulders on the floor, sighing deeply.

_There's nothing more dangerous than a boy with charm  
He's a one stop shop, makes the panties drop  
He's a sweet talkin' sugar-coated candy man  
A sweet talkin' sugar-coated candy man_

The band continued to sing as Morgan appeared, swinging her skirt in the middle of the stage. Johnny's face lit up and he quickly made his way towards his sister, poking her at the shoulder. She turned around and only looked at him for a brief moment before huffing and raising her chin the other direction, also completely blowing him off. Johnny's shoulders sagged down in disappointment, and he sat down at the step of the stage, sighing.

_The gossip tonight will be tomorrow's headlines  
He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop  
He's a sweet talkin' sugar-coated candyman (oh yeah)  
A sweet talkin' sugar coated candy man_

Tony peeked from his newspaper, nudging the boys and pointing to Johnny's direction, who was with his head on his hands, his sadness apparent. The groom stood up, leaving his newspaper as he walked towards the boy, his friends following him. He poked Johnny on the shoulder and motioned with his head for him to come with the gang. 

They walked to the middle of the stage, their attitude almost cocky with their hands inside their trousers pockets. Tony stopped and looked down at Johnny, motioning for him to pay attention to what was about to happen.

_Tarzan and Jane were swingin' on a vine_

Tony started snapping his fingers in rhythm with the lyrics, while Johnny only looked at him puzzled.

_Candy man, candy man_

The boys screamed the lyrics, their hands making a shell around their mouths to echo the sound. Tony grinned wide as Johnny started imitating him.

_Sipping from a bottle of vodka double wine_

They changed to clapping, Tony's body bending down to help Johnny catch the rhythm.

_Candy man, candy man_

The lyrics blasted, the trumpets following the notes with energy as the boys positioned themselves in a line, one next to each other, Johnny at the middle, his cap still backward.

_He got those lips like sugar cane  
Good things come for boys who wait  
He's a one stop shop with a real big uh  
He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated candyman_

They start dancing, showing jazz hands and moving their shoulders in rhythm, circling around themselves. The song blew from the stage and people roared in cheers, whistling as the boys moved as one, yelling the lyrics as they raised their hands in salutes and marched in rhythm. Johnny did the same, confident with the dance steps, moving his hips with the boys as the singer made the melody wish everyone was dancing. Ziva's shoulders started shaking as well, stopped only by bursts of laughter as the boys did a certain dance move or Tony winked in her direction. 

With a stampede, the song came to an end and Tony held out a hand to give Johnny a high five. He returned it with a big smile, and went running out of the stage after McGee tousled his hair with pride.

People cheered so loudly, Ziva felt as if fireworks exploding around her by the racing beat of her heart. She was smiling so much her cheeks were hurting, her eyes twinkling in joy.

Tony cast her a big smile in return. She looked so taken aback he knew he had done a good job.

"Okay, people, little Tony had to learn how to grow, and that was an arduous thing to do. But he did it, and soon came college," the boys whistled and howled by the mention of it, "and it was like DiNozzo Junior was in heaven," someone threw a football ball his way and Tony caught it without even looking at the person's direction, "but let's make this quick. This is not a short story."

_I'm too sexy for my love  
Too sexy for my love  
Love's going to leave me_

The beat increased and the boys started throwing the ball between themselves, as if in a game. Ziva laughed out loud with the lyrics of the song and a roar of yells came from the audience, encouraging Tony to continue.

Breena appeared from the corner of the stage, arm hooked around Ellie's as they made their way passing the boys playing. Kasie and Abby came right behind them, chatting, laughing and twirling their hair, the spot-on impressions of naive school girls. 

The boys stopped what they were doing and started pointing in their direction, drooling as they passed in front of them. Jimmy quickly stole Breena away, putting an arm around her shoulders as he guided them out of the stage. McGee hooked his arm with Abby and started babbling about something, his big excited smile disappearing when they left the dance floor as well. Nick squatted down at the ground and started crawling in Kasie's direction, making her break character and start laughing, but they managed to leave the stage hand in hand.

Tony winked at Ellie and started moving his shoulders in rhythm, her doing the same with a big smile. They snapped their fingers and danced with the beat until the lyrics ended and she left the stage, blowing a kiss Ziva's way.

"Good times, that ones," Tony put his hands on his knees and faked being tired, fanning himself, "but insignificant nonetheless. The big bomb that was about to explode wasn't even in the US," his eyes landed on Ziva and stayed, "it was in Israeli lands, far away from there."

Ziva chuckled, smile raised to the stars.

"Though we _are_ getting closer."

_We'll get some overhead lifters and some four barrel quads, oh yeah_

Tony stood up again, combing his hair in a Travolta manner as the boys came back on stage, carrying one small table to the middle. They placed it in the front then joined Tony, forming a line next to him.

" _Keep talking, whoa, keep talking,_ " yelled McGee, his hand making a shell around his mouth.

" _Fuel injection cutoffs and chrome-plated rods, oh yeah,_ " added Tony, his hips starting to move with the beat.

" _We'll get her ready, I'll kill to get her ready,_ " said Jimmy, moving his shoulders as the song started to increase rhythm.

" _With a four-speed on the floor, they'll be waiting at the door,_ " Tony moved his hips and raised his hands to the sky, a big smile on his face as he looked to his friends next to him, " _You know that ain't no shit, we'll be getting lots of tit_."

" _IN GREASED LIGHTIN',_ " they all sang in unison, while the audience laughed out loud.

Abby came running from outside the dance floor to place something on Tony's head, just before they all started dancing the [same choreography from the famous film](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-kL8A4RNQ8), hips and hand in sync.

It was an NCIS cap.

_Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go  
Go Greased Lightnin', you're burning up the quarter mile  
(Greased Lightnin', go greased lightning)  
Go Greased Lightnin', you're coasting through the heat lap trial  
(Greased Lightnin', go greased lightning)_

Tony jumped and the boys ran to the sides while he darted to the table, picking a telephone someone had placed there while McGee took his suit off and put his NCIS jacket in place.

_You are supreme  
The chicks'll cream  
For GREASED LIGHTNIN'  
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go_

Gibbs appeared out of nowhere, carrying a familiar coffee cup as he made his way past Tony sitting at the table. 

"Grab your gear," his voice echoed loudly as he laid a pile of papers in his desk, getting out of stage.

_Purple fringe tail lights and 30-inch fins, oh yeah  
A Palomino dashboard and duel muffler twins, oh yeah_

Before Tony got a chance to stand up, Gibbs entered again from the other side of the stage, drinking the same cup of coffee.

"DiNozzo, _grab your gear_ ," he put another pile of papers on top of the already big pile on his desk.

"On your six, boss," he tried to stop the papers falling at the floor.

_With new pistons, plugs, and shocks, I can get off my rocks  
You know that I ain't bragging, she's a real pussy wagon_

Jimmy came running, throwing another pile of files his way, wearing his medical uniform with Ducky beside him, carrying their suitcases as if they were in a real crime scene. An energetic gothic wearing a white coat also came running at the same time, followed by McGee in her heel as they both put another pile of files on Tony's desk and started asking questions his way, moving their hands with vigor. 

_Greased Lightnin'_

"Grab your gear," said Gibbs, passing his table a third time, his pace fast and his leadership evident.

Tony grabbed the enormous pile of papers that had formed on his desk and tried to follow him, files flying from his hands and falling everywhere. He stumbled and didn't manage to catch the coffee cup his boss had thrown his way, receiving a loud head slap in return.

Snap. 

Snap.

Snap.

_Go, go, go, go go go go go go go go_

The trumpets and notes of the song increased and the beat was like fire on Ziva's veins as she laughed to the sky when every one of the team gave Tony a series of head slaps, one after the other.

Gibbs stopped and motioned for him to watch out, grabbing his gun on his waist, or better, forming a gun with his hand just as Tony did the same. They shot and ran, hiding from the invisible criminal as the other people from the team gasped and clapped, following them closely. McGee appeared just next to him a second later, also wearing his NCIS cap and jacket. Tony turned to him with an annoyed look in his eyes and gave his probie a head slap, receiving one from Gibbs instantly.

They ran together, stopping then and there to make a dance move, the three of them moving in sync with the energetic beat.

Ziva laughed and laughed until tears streamed down her cheeks.

The instrumental crescendo ended and the singers' voice started again, along with the whole audience blasting the lyrics as well. 

The whole team joined Tony at the stage, dancing as one as if they had rehearsed that for weeks, big smiles directed just to Ziva. They clapped and moved together, shaking their hips and bending down when the song demanding them to, and it was as if she was watching a whole musical unfold just in front of her. 

She couldn't smile wide enough.

The trumpets got louder and louder, and even the kids came running to dance the famous moves.

_Go Greased Lightnin', you're burning up the quarter mile  
(Greased Lightnin', go Greased Lightnin')  
Go Greased Lightnin', you're coasting through the heat lap trials  
(Greased Lightnin', go Greased Lightnin')  
You are supreme, the chicks'll cream_

" _FOR GREASED LIGHTNIN'_ ," yelled Ziva from her place, who just couldn't contain herself.

The band blasted the last notes and the team ended their dance.

A roar of cheers and whistles came from the guests as they bowed to them, every single one high-fiving or patting Tony's back before leaving the stage.

"As you could see, a job offer came into view," Tony took his NCIS cap and kissed it dramatically, "and that changed my life forever."

He threw it Ziva's way, who got it without failing and put on her lap, casting a loud chuckle at him right after.

"But something was missing," he rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression towards the night sky, "something that as soon as it arrived, it knocked me right off my feet."

Tony sat on his desk, picking up a phone. McGee did the same, carrying a new table onto the stage.

Jimmy helped Abby carry a third table.

"For sake of entertainment and the story's plotline, I'll play myself. McGee will play young, dumb Probie here," McGee scoffed at him and shook his head, "and someone very, very special will play young, hot, steamy Ziva Dah-veed. Men, try to control yourselves. Women, I'm watching you too."

As soon as the contagious beat started to sound from the speakers, Nick appeared from one side of the stage, a long black wig attached on his head.

_Shawty had them Apple Bottom Jeans  
Boots with the fur  
The whole club was lookin' at her_

He walked towards the third desk, hips swaying from side to side as people roared in cheers and whistles. He adjusted his too-big wig in place and blew a kiss Tony's way, whose mouth opened agape and hand stopped midair, still holding the telephone.

_She hit the floor (she hit the floor)  
Next thing you know  
Shawty got low low low low low low low low_

Ziva burst out laughing once Torres started dancing, squatting down the floor then up again, not a care in the world as he encouraged the audience to cheer louder and dance with him.

"Israeli National Treasure entered NCIS headquarters with style," Tony's voice echoed and he stood up, eyeing Nick with interest, almost breaking character when his friend winked at him, "and I stopped breathing that day."

"Grab your gear," Gibbs appeared again, not a second glance Torres' way, even if he danced as if the star of the dance floor. His wig fell and people roared in laughter when he cursed and had to put it back on to follow the boys to the invisible crime scene. Tony was eyeing him all the way, having to turn around from time to time to hide his hysteric laughter. They pulled out their invisible guns and chased the suspects, all with the beat of the song. 

Suddenly, it changed.

"Once, me and Ziva here," he caressed Nick's cheek and Ziva was already crying with laughter by this point, "had to take part in an undercover mission."

Tony turned to the real bride and his eyes fixed on hers as he opened a feral grin.

"I'll never forget that mission, sweet cheeks," she remembered that was the first time he had referred to her like that and smiled, "not until the day I die."

Kasie came running with a long deep-green dress, one she quickly put over Nick's arms just before he started dancing to the Spanish lyrics.

He yelled in joy and clapped with the beat, fixing his wig in place as Gibbs and McGee left the stage without being able to hide their wide smiles from the show. Torres turned to Tony, grabbing his hand and putting it on his hip, then held his other hand up and forced him to start dancing to the song as well.

_Suavemente, bésame  
Que quiero sentir tus labios  
Besándome otra vez_

The contagious rhythm blasted from the speakers and Torres wore a wig like no one, hips moving with the beat as Tony circled him around himself and guided them across the floor. The groom broke character a few times, laughter escaping his lips whenever he looked at Ziva or the boys tearing up with joy next to the dance floor. 

_Bésame, bésame  
(Suave) bésame otra vez  
(Suave) que yo quiero sentir tus labios  
(Suave) besándome otra vez_

Nick grabbed Tony's neck and for a second he pulled away, but once everyone started to scream and howl, he gave in and placed a quick peck on Nick's lips. Ziva was almost rolling to the ground with laughter, bending forward with teary eyes when Torres blew a kiss towards her as if saying sorry for stealing the groom. Tony pushed Nick away and asked the band to continue with the next song, while Kasie appeared with tears in her eyes just to help Torres get out of the tight dress. His toned body under it didn't help and he had to readjust his wig right after, the guests roaring with laughter.

"And with time, the inevitable happened. We became friends, then partners, then two people who knew a secret no one else had no idea," Tony cast Ziva a big smile, "that we had always belonged to each other, rules or not, it was as if we had met a lifetime before. It was slow and certain, I was going to fall in love. I was intimidated by her from the start and I wanted to impress her every second of every day. I belonged to Ziva David since the day she set foot on that naval base, and she became the best plot twist of my very own movie."

"But that fire kept burning for very long, its flame about to explode everywhere. Years of longing, of bickering, of running away from commitment, from what was happening right under our noses. McGee here had to stand us every day of the week, and I have a feeling it's a burden he'll carry as long as the curse is still active on that bullpen," Tony winked at Nick, who only shrugged and tossed his wig over his shoulder.

"The years went by and we had to learn how to dance on the flames."

_Well I know that the boogaloo is outta sight  
But the shing-a-ling's the thing tonight  
Would it happen to me and ya baby?  
I wanna show you how to do it right_

Tony shook his shoulders in rhythm Nick's way, who shook them back, a laugh escaping his lips towards the dark sky. They danced together as the trumpets blasted, clapping with the beat and doing funny dance moves, to which the audience howled in cheers. McGee appeared from one side of the stage, carrying a familiar book and shaking it in front of Tony and fake Ziva, who gave him no attention.

It read "Deep Six" on the cover.

Tim shook his head, leaving the stage frustrated as Tony and Torres only continued to dance together, laughing more than ever as they invented the dance moves on the spot.

_Bend over, let me see you shake your tail feather  
Come on, let me see you shake your tail feather_

The audience clapped with them, the band setting the contagious rhythm with trumpets and drums, their laughter being carried by the wind towards the stars.

"Okay, okay, now it's the point of the story I have to introduce some new people. People that arose to fill a void, but still left space, space in us that unfortunately called the name of someone else."

"It was a dark and sad time, an attempt of fighting back fate, both me and Israeli there. Their names aren't important, so let's just call them 'DJ' and 'Clay'."

Jimmy appeared with a blond wig, the hairs of it falling over his face as he flirtatiously waved to Tony. Nick took a look at him and crossed his arms, stomping his feet. Tony tried to explain the situation but when he was about to, McGee appeared from his other side, wearing a suit that wasn't part of the groomsmen outfit, pulling Torres to another direction while Jimmy did the same with the groom.

_When they said you was high classed  
Well, that was just a lie  
Yeah, they said you was high classed  
Well, that was just a lie  
Yeah, you ain't never caught a rabbit  
And you ain't no friend of mine_

They started to dance between them, Tony trying to escape Jimmy's grip to go to Torres, while the song blasted from the stage, the singer's voice warming everyone's hearts. 

It was probably the funniest thing Ziva had ever seen.

The bride had tears in her eyes she had to keep wiping because she was laughing so much. It was such a clever thing to do, especially now, when it all had come to pass. When all had led them to this. 

_You ain't nothing but a hound dog  
Crying all the time_

Jimmy gave Tony a fake slap on the face and he fell to the ground, covering his cheek as Jimmy left the dance floor steaming, hands clenched and feet stomping. 

_You ain't nothing but a hound dog  
Crying all the time_

Tony started crawling to Nick's direction, but he was dancing out of rhythm with a McGee who couldn't find the right pace. They kept breaking character and laughing at their own jokes, which only made everything better.

_Well, you ain't never caught a rabbit  
And you ain't no friend of mine_

McGee kissed Nick's hand and left, a disappointed look on his face as he made his way out of the dance floor. The song died on a stampede and Nick slowly turned to Tony sprawled on the ground, something that enticed a roar of applause and cheers that made Ziva's skin tingle. Jack had given her a wipe for her to dry her tears, and she nodded gratefully, a hand on her chest from laughing so much.

Tony managed to stand up, face surprised as he saw Nick turned to him, both mouths opened agape. The groom took slow steps towards him, a wide look on his eyes. Nick only tried to fix his wig in place, and Tony struggled to contain his bursts of laughter. 

Ziva was already laughing again.

"The time had come for me to express everything that I felt for years. For _years_ , things that were locked in my heart with a hundred keys," he looked at her and opened a big smile, "but Ziva was leaving, leaving for good, and that was my last chance."

"So I crossed the oceans, I climbed the mountains, because she wouldn't, just couldn't, leave my life forever without knowing how I really felt about her. How much I loved her."

As soon as the first notes sounded, Ziva changed her expression completely, going from moved to beaming in a second. She was so, so grateful to have him in her life.

" _You are my fire_ ," his voice was smooth as liquor, warming her insides as Tony stood up and pointed at her, the boys losing the wigs and encouraging everyone to sing along.

" _The one_ ," he lifted one finger up and made his way towards her, slowly and carefully, " _desire_."

Ziva smiled wide, her eyes twinkling with joy under the starlight sky.

" _Believe when I say_ ," Tony kneeled just in front of her, eyes never leaving her own. His lips curled into a soft smile, noticing the surprise in her eyes. 

The gesture made her remember how he proposed. 

" _I want it_ ," he kissed the back of her hand softly, eyes still fixed on her face, " _that way_."

His gentle smile turned to a wicked grin once the song exploded in their ears.

_Tell me why  
Ain't nothin' but a heartache_

The boys formed a line, dancing as one as if in a 90s boyband come to life. Ziva had no idea how they managed to rehearse so well for it.

_Tell me why  
Ain't nothin' but a mistake_

People cheered and cheered, the song pulsating on their skin as they yelled the lyrics in joy, clapping and whistling together.

_Tell me why  
I never want to hear you say_

They stopped dancing and all pointed at Ziva, big smiles on their faces.

_I WANT IT THAT WAY_

They resumed jumping, energy contagious as everyone clapped and moved as well, the song pulsating in their ears. Ziva smiled, even Gibbs was moving his head in rhythm.

_'Cause I want it that way_

They finished with the same pose, pointing at Ziva, who was beaming with joy. She clapped and clapped, yelling cheers and whistling to the boys. The bowed and waved, blowing kisses to their loved ones. 

Tony cast her a big smile, eyes twinkling.

Even the stars were flashing with joy.

"Okay, okay, everyone. Thank you for the applause, but our story is not even close to ending," Tony's smile widened.

"How much stuff do you have up your pocket?" yelled Ziva in return.

"Sleeve, and calm down, Mossad," his eyes twinkled as he saw how much she was enjoying it, "I have to make up for the failure that was the proposal."

Ziva shook her head, hands on her hips.

His proposal was far from being a failure, and she'd told him that a thousand times already.

Tony smiled as if he knew.

"We arrived at the part that I had so much craved for many years, when we were in a distant land, alone and with nothing to do except lay our feelings bare."

"I apologize in advance for what is about to follow, if you don't want this image engraved in your minds forever, please take this moment to refresh yourself. Grab a drink, take some air, let this song pass. Children, go play with the fairies for this song, I'm sure they're more interesting."

"Ladies, I am taken, but this fellow right here," he grabbed Nick's shoulder tightly and had no discretion when he looked straight to Ellie, "is not. Those who stayed, please, enjoy the show, and if you want to blame someone, blame Tali. This was all her existence fault."

"Oh my, God."

The words escaped Ziva's mouth soon before she covered it with her hand, eyebrows raising in surprise. She couldn't believe what was happening in front of her, her cheeks blushing and her neck flushing with a warmth that made her skin tingle. She blinked once, twice, then a big smile crept on her lips. 

Ziva didn't know if she wanted the show to stop or continue.

As soon as the song started, Tony changed his pace. McGee and Jimmy left the stage, leaving only him and Nick to continue the show. 

Probably the ones who had come up with this, to be honest.

The groom cocked his head to one side and opened a feral grin, eyes fixed on hers. Slowly, and agonizingly so, he took out his [beige suit jacket, revealing a white shirt and dark blue suspenders](https://66.media.tumblr.com/c1fed1e7c3ecf92c7ed79e5c62801e41/0646d3fc88b060e7-75/s1280x1920/cf5ebab64edc83681681e5bf04a3819417a3bed8.jpg) just like the rest of the groomsmen underneath. 

Ziva felt an electric feeling dart across her spine, and couldn't help but lick her lips once Tony started to roll up his shirt sleeves. He raised his chin to her, eyes filled with sizzling need as they roamed over her body. 

He _knew_ the power he had on her, and his wicked smirk told her so.

Nick unbuttoned the two first buttons of his own shirt, flexing his muscles as he brought two chairs to the middle of the stage.

"Woof."

Kasie turned to Ellie, an inquisitive eyebrow raised.

"What," Ellie's cheeks turned red, "did I say that out loud?"

"No, of course you didn't. You never do," Kasie replied with a pat on her shoulder, "I'm deaf for the time being."

_I'm just a bachelor  
I'm looking for a partner  
Someone who knows how to ride  
Without even falling off_

Torres and DiNozzo sat back to back, legs sprawled to the sides and similarly twisted grins on their faces. When the beat started to pulsate, they started to move their hipbones in rhythm, strong hands gripping the chair as they danced with sinful motions.

_Gotta be compatible  
Takes me to my limits  
Girl when I break you off  
I promise that you won't want to get off_

Ziva gasped out loud when they both jumped to the ground, arm muscles flexing when their hips started to dry hump the dance floor tiles, her skin flustered with the profanity of the lyrics and the motions they were doing in front of everyone. 

People roared and howled, screams of encouragement and exclamations of surprise coming from everywhere. Ellie couldn't look more flustered, the skin of the back of her neck tingling whenever Nick looked her way. She didn't dare to blink _once._

_If you're horny let's do it, ride it, my pony  
My saddle's waiting, come and jump on it_

Their hips moved in sync with the lyrics, lips licking and strong muscles supporting their weight on the ground.

_If you're horny let's do it, ride it, my pony  
My saddle's waiting, come and jump on it_

The men stood up and fanned themselves, making everyone laugh. Nick poked Tony on the shoulder and motioned to and invisible wristwatch, telling him it was time to go. The groom squeezed Nick's shoulder with a smile and his friend darted off stage, a group of women shamelessly goggling where he was heading to.

That left Tony alone.

_Sitting here flossing  
Peepin' your steelo_

He started to walk slowly towards Ziva, his head cocked to the side as she started cursing under her breath. 

He opened a feral grin.

_Just once if I have the chance  
The things I would to you_

Tony started to do a lap dance on her, not a care in the world as he sinfully moved his hips over hers, arms grabbing tightly the back of her chair. The beat was strong in her ears and the warmth of his body hovering over hers made her skin burn. His lips were inches from hers as he moved relentlessly, his hot breath caressing the tingling skin of her cheeks.

She thought it would have been a very funny act if it wasn't bothering her so much.

_If you're horny lets do it, ride it, my pony  
My saddle's waiting, come and jump on it_

Tony stood up and circled her chair, a finger making its way from one of her shoulders to the other. He bent down to whisper something in her ear, a soft hand [moving her unbound hair away](https://66.media.tumblr.com/75fdb12b0059a8b029a2071619e83004/bb665e107dbfb933-18/s1280x1920/c92f0b7ef8ab948038bacb888a2366242958c060.jpg) while a hot breath caressed the spot just where her jaw met her neck.

Ziva couldn't refrain the gasp that escaped her lips once Tony didn't speak at all, but licked the spot with his wet tongue instead. 

He laughed as the song ended, grabbing her cheeks to plant a wet kiss on her lips before darting back to the stage. 

Ziva opened her eyes, not realizing they were closed.

"I am so sorry for the ones that chose to stay and watch that," people whistled out loud, a roar of clamors coming from the guests, "children, you can open your eyes now. The dream has passed and nothing happened while you were away."

Tony opened a big smile towards her, eyebrow raising as if to say he had won this round.

Ziva held his stare.

"That day, that day when I left Ziva in Israel, it has the hardest 180 of my life. I'll never forget our goodbye, for it was the wrongest decision I've ever made. I spent days, weeks after that, rethinking all the steps that had led me to a world without her, and somehow didn't find the answer."

"She needed time to heal, and I needed time to come to my senses," Tony motioned to the band to hit the next song, "but that doesn't mean I didn't miss her tons."

_Oh baby, baby, how was I supposed to know  
That something wasn't right here?_

He pressed his chest with a distressed expression, just as the boys appeared on stage once again, carrying the tables back on the scenario. 

_Oh baby, baby, I shouldn't have let you go  
And now you're out of sight, yeah_

Tony looked at McGee, sitting on his desk as if nothing had happened, picking up invisible telephone calls and typing on an invisible keyboard. He then glanced at the empty table next to him, his hand clenching over his heart as Tony dubbed the lyrics with a painful expression.

_Show me how want it to be  
Tell me, baby, 'cause I need to know now, oh because_

Gibbs reappeared with a new coffee cup but didn't say a word to DiNozzo, just crossed his way to the other side of the stage.

_My loneliness is killing me (and I)  
I must confess I still believe (still believe)_

Tony started to pace around, hands pulling his hair in anguish as every single member of the team ignored him, doing their daily activities as if nothing was going on.

_When I'm not with you I lose my mind  
Give me a sign_

He kneeled to the ground, raising a hand to the night sky, the other making a clenched fist over his heart. 

Ziva shook her head, but couldn't contain a smile by how dramatic he looked.

_HIT ME BABY  
ONE MORE TIME_

The song stopped all of a sudden, and DiNozzo stood up confused, not breaking character as he put a hand over his eyes and started to fake cry.

"But then," he turned serious as the team stopped doing the things they were doing midair, real-life statues coming to a halt, "then something horrible happened. The navy yard received some news that day that made all our hearts stop, and I declare to all of you now, without a drop of a joke in my statement - part of me died that day."

"The day she became a ghost."

The tables disappeared once again as Jimmy placed his hands on Tony's waist and the groom opened up his arms just like the famous Titanic scene.

_Every night in my dreams  
I see you, I feel you  
That is how I know you go on_

Nick and McGee squatted down and started to row invisible oars, dramatic looks on their faces.

_Far across the distance  
And spaces between us  
You have come to show you go on_

The boys swayed from side to side as if in a ship, the invisible waves moving them with the rhythm of the song. 

The real ocean never seemed so real, the nearby waves crashing at the bay now with its sound magnified, the loud splashes of water now also a part of the show. 

_NEAR  
FAR  
WHEREVER YOU ARE_

Ziva couldn't help but laugh at the scene, tears streaming at the corner of her eyes again as the boys continued to slowly sway from side to side with the lyrics.

_I believe that the heart does go on_

Jimmy started to feign a lousy cry as Tony yelled the lyrics to the sky, face contorted in misery. 

_Once more you open the door  
And you're here in my heart  
And my heart will go on and on_

McGee took out a wipe from his pocket and padded Tony's eyes, who only nodded thankfully before restarted singing again from the top of his lungs.

_You're here, there's nothing I fear  
And I know that my heart will go on_

They undid the boat formation and left Tony alone, his arms falling to his sides with a heavy sigh. He kneeled to the ground, shoulders sagging and eyes lifting up to the dark sky above.

_We'll stay forever this way  
You are safe in my heart and  
My heart will go on and on_

He let his head fall as the song came to an end, the last note echoing across the patio. 

A roar of cheers exploded all around.

Tony stayed like that for a moment, his shoulders softly moving from the obvious laughter that was hidden from everyone. Ziva smiled wide, clapping wildly along with the guests.

"But with she gone, that meant someone else had come around. A girl, a little monster who couldn't stand still for me to feed her and a princess who reminded me so much of her mother. An angel."

Tali came running from one side of the stage, a familiar stuffed dog toy under her arm.

"And that meant I had to transform from bachelor to father in a snap."

"My friends," Tony looked at the audience, nodding, "that meant madness."

_All my life has been a series of doors in my face  
And then suddenly I bump into you_

Tony showed her his cheek and Tali kissed it before sitting down next to him, just as Breena came from the audience carrying a little pink table. Tali's table, for all her tea parties.

Ziva burst out laughing.

_I've been searching my whole life to find my own place  
And maybe it's the party talking or the chocolate fondue_

Tali placed little tea cups on top of the table, putting Kelev on one side as if he was also part of the party. Tony cast her a pout, scratching his head before giving in, lifting his shoulders as if to say 'why not' and drinking from the cup Tali had handed him.

They started singing, each taking a voice of one character, Tali standing up with all the energy she had to perform. 

They probably spent days rehearsing that. It was Tali's favorite film.

_But with you (but with you)  
I found my place (I see your face)  
And it's nothing like I've ever known before  
LOVE IS AN OPEN DOOR_

They kept pulling the theatrics until the song came to a halt, making Tony cast a big smile to his daughter. She jumped, kissed his cheek one last time and left the stage, along with Kelev and all her tea cups. 

"Yeah, she was a gift sent from the heavens, alright, but that didn't stop me from thinking of her mother in everything she did."

The girls helped to clean the stage while he stood up and talked, crossing the dance floor between all the remaining chairs and tables. 

Three figures reappeared, standing next to Tony, making a new line. Jimmy, Nick and McGee crossed their arms, inflating their chests and raising their chins, pride and confidence clear in their stance.

"Though I got by, with a little help from my friends."

The trumpets blasted the familiar notes and Ziva stood up once the boys started marching, one next to each other.

The yell of joy that escaped her lips said it all.

_Young man, there's no need to feel down  
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground  
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town  
There's no need to be unhappy_

DiNozzo, Torres, Palmer and McGee impersonated the Village People like no other, doing the exact [same moves from the famous dance](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CS9OO0S5w2k) as they sang the lyrics with big smiles on their faces.

The song exploded around them, and everyone was once again clapping with the trumpets and singing along. The energy was so euphoric, their hearts started racing, adrenaline filling their veins and sharpening their senses.

_Young man, there's a place you can go  
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough  
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find  
Many ways to have a good time_

The boys marched and turned around, chins raised up while they sang the lyrics with everything they had. Tony winked at Ziva, who was laughing widely and clapping with the audience. Her eyes twinkled under the starlight, surprise and joy evident.

The trumpets blasted and they sang the chorus as one, a roar of clamors echoing all around.

_IT'S FUN TO STAY AT THE  
Y  
M  
C  
A_

Every single person on the dancefloor and the tables around it did the famous dance movies, big smiles displayed for the moon to see. 

Ziva had never enjoyed something so much.

"Oh MY GOD," she exclaimed to the dancefloor, one hand pressing her chest.

_Young man, I was once in your shoes  
I said, I was down and out with the blues  
I felt no man cared if I were alive  
I felt the whole world was so tight_

The boys had left the stage marching as they came, four new people appearing at the dance floor.

"OH MY GOOOD," yelled Ziva as she jumped where she stood, hips moving with the beat.

Gibbs, Ducky, Vance and Senior marched in line, saluting her as she laughed and laughed, tears in her eyes. 

_That's when someone came up to me  
And said, young man, take a walk up the street  
There's a place there called the YMCA  
They can start you back on your way_

Even Gibbs was beaming as they all turned around, Ziva jumping with joy and singing the lyrics with them at the edge of the stage. 

Tony was on the floor, just outside the stage, rolling with laughter as he couldn't believe his eyes, the four of them marching on the dance floor. 

He couldn't believe he had convinced them all.

_IT'S FUN TO STAY AT THE  
Y  
M  
C  
A_

The boys joined them and now there was a long line of people on the dance floor, doing the famous choreography as laughter echoed all around.

_IT'S FUN TO STAY AT THE  
Y  
M  
C  
A_

The trumpets blasted and the notes pulsated on the dancefloor, the lyrics being sung by dozens of people at the same time, the sound of joy reverberating through their bones.

"Alright, alright," said Tony once the band stopped playing and a roar of cheers exploded, "now _that_ was a good sweat."

"The days went by and the adventures of Tony and Tali DiNozzo continued, but something was always bitter. Something was always missing."

"And then I received a phone call," Tony gave a dramatic pause and the only sound it could be heard was the waves slowing kissing the sand down below, "and it was the voice of this woman right here," he pointed to Ziva, his smile growing, "it was the voice of this woman right here at the other end of the line."

" _Hello_ ," he picked up the invisible phone, " _it's me_ ," his hand covered his mouth to hide his wide smile, " _I was wondering if after all these years you'd like to meet_."

Bickers of laughter escaped the tables, as the lyrics were so spot on that made Ziva wonder how much effort Tony had put plotting this.

" _To go over everything_ ," he nodded to her as if reading her thoughts, " _they say that time's supposed to heal ya, but I ain't done much healing_ ," the song came to a stop and Tony looked around, steeping back with hands raised. The guests thought something wrong had happened, but he soon started to speak again.

"Yes, I became wiser and more capable of taking care of Tali without her presence," he looked at her and a slow smile creeped into his lips, "but that also didn't stop me almost burning alive with joy when I received the news she was back. She was finally back, she was finally coming to me, to us, and we would be a family together."

His eyes softened.

Hers as well.

A big smile returned to her lips when every one of the bridesmaids jumped on the stage, shaking the groom out of his stupor as he cast a lazy smile directed only to her. 

_I feel good, I knew that I would, now_

The ladies danced with utter joy, their hips and shoulders moving with the beat as the singer's raw voice echoed across the patio. For a moment, Ziva wanted to go dance with them, but she felt like it wasn't her place just yet.

She was the most important audience member here and she needed to do her job right.

_I feel nice, like sugar and spice  
I feel nice, like sugar and spice  
So nice, so nice, I got you_

The children came running from the gardens, shaking energetically and turning around as the girls clapped and guided them across the dance floor. Kasie and Abby were knocking their hips, while Ellie, Breena, Jack and Delilah shook their shoulders at each side of the groom, big smiles permanent on their faces.

_So good  
So good  
Cause I got you_

The song came to a halt and another song followed, giving just enough time for the girls to leave the stage and the boys to return.

"As you can see, now I had Tali," Tony held her hand and Tali giggled, excitement clear in her features, "and now I had Ziva. My Ziva. Back. Back, with me. With Tali," his eyes softened for a moment, "there was no more time to waste, only one more decision to make."

The drums set the pace of the song and the boys formed a line beside Tony again, Nick taking Tali's hand and guiding her to the side.

It didn't surprise Ziva one bit that they started to dance the [exact same choreography every one was so familiar to](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4m1EFMoRFvY), McGee and Jimmy swaying their hips from side to side, enticing a roar of laughter.

_Up in the club, we just broke up  
I'm doing my own lil' thing  
You decided to dip and now you wanna trip  
'Cause another brother noticed me_

Ziva thought she couldn't laugh more, but the drums blasting the song and her friends smashing the dance moves on the stage made her cry with laughter. As Jimmy and McGee shook their shoulders in sync, she smiled so wide her cheeks were hurted. Her belly had been hurting for a while now. Tony shook his hips from side to side, pointing to his ring finger as the lyrics continued.

_'Cause if ya liked it then ya shoulda put a ring on it  
If ya liked it then ya shoulda put a ring on it_

The trio walked across the stage, pointing to their fingers as Nick reappeared, poking Tony on the shoulder. He motioned alarmed to something he was holding, a little velvet box Tony eagerly took from his hands. 

Now the four of them continued to dance, welcoming Nick to the group as he entered shaking his shoulders in rhythm with the beat. 

Laughter echoed all around.

_'Cause if ya liked it then ya shoulda put a ring on it  
If ya liked it then ya shoulda put a ring on it  
Don't be mad once ya see that he want it  
If ya liked it then ya shoulda put a ring on it_

The song ended and they all bowed, sweat coating their foreheads. With big smiles on their faces, they cheered with the rest of guests, embracing each other in a tight hug. 

"And then there was only one thing left to do," said Tony as the boys left the stage in a blink.

"Oh my God, it has no end," Ziva replied, but her lips were set in a wide smile.

"Shh, let us have our fun, woman."

_Hey baby, I think I wanna marry you_

Tony shrugged, his shoulders slowly moving with the song as he started to walk towards her.

_Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you_

He shook his head and lifted his eyes to the night sky, face filled with disbelief as he thanked the heavens for being here. 

The band managed to put even the wedding bells at the background of the song, and as Tony walked towards her, something snapped. 

This was _actually_ her wedding night.

Ziva beamed with joy.

_Don't say no no no no no  
Just say yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah  
And we'll go go go go go  
If you're ready, like I'm ready_

Tony kneeled in front of her again, opening the velvet box with a characteristic smoothness as he sang the lyrics with a big smile.

Ziva couldn't contain her surprise once she looked inside of it.

There was no ring.

There was a small paper, folded over and over itself.

She raised an eyebrow to him, questioning why. 

Tony just smiled lazily, encouraging her to take it.

Ziva did so, unfolding it carefully.

"Oh my God," she gasped, covering her mouth, "oh my God, how do you have _this_?"

Tony's smile only grew, "when I was watching you, someone was watching us."

It was a picture.

It was a picture of a young woman wearing a beige jacket next to a tall man at the entrance hall of a hotel. It was raining, and he held a pizza box towards her, the same cocky smile displayed in his face years earlier. Her hand was frozen midair, her head cocked in a way Ziva knew she did when she was studying someone. She looked so young, her hair a lion mane around her. 

She could feel the electricity of the picture, the feeling so familiar and so old. 

So new. 

"How the hell did you get hold of this?"

"When was leaving the team, I peeked at the archives. And there it was, our first date."

His smile was so familiar. It was so pure, it was made for her.

"A perfect first date. Pizza," Ziva studied the photograph, "it would be better if it wasn't raining."

"What? The rain is shakespearian, it adds depth."

_Is it the look in your eyes, or is it this dancing juice  
Who cares baby, I think I wanna marry you_

His eyes twinkled with joy as Ziva met his stare. 

_Just say I do  
Tell me right now baby  
Tell me right now baby, baby_

It dawned to her that _he_ was her husband now.

Anthony DiNozzo.

 _Her_ Anthony DiNozzo.

She gave him no warning before throwing her arms around his neck, crashing their smiles together, a roar of cheers exploding around them as the band blasted the song with energy, notes echoing into the night sky. There wasn't anything around, just them, their joy infinite as foreheads touched and teeth clinked when smiles reappeared.

"There's one song left."

"How many songs are there?!"

"Too many and not enough," he gave her a quick kiss on the lips before dashing back to the stage, leaving Ziva with a photograph.

A photograph of two young agents already in love, from _years_ ago.

"And then we got married," his voice echoed across the patio, "finally, I know. That was my own reaction as well."

"And we came to this," Tony motioned around him, to the many lanterns hanging from the palm trees and the people smiling at him from the tables, "to here. To this paradise."

"So there's only one thing left to say."

_Now I've had the time of my life  
No, I never felt like this before_

Tony raised both hands to the sky, victory fists pumps lifted in the air for the stars to acknowledge.

He was a winner tonight.

_Yes I swear it's the truth  
And I owe it all to you_

His eyes fixed on her again and Tony blew Ziva a kiss, his hands patting the place over his heart.

The groom whistled and a little girl came running, her dress swinging with her movement.

_I've been waiting for so long  
Now I've finally found someone to stand by me_

Father and daughter moved their feet together, hips swaying from side to side as swift hands lifted Tali from up the ground and then put her down back again. 

Ziva wiped the tears that wet her cheeks, her chest warmth with a new feeling she wasn't so familiar with.

The feeling of belonging.

Of family. 

_Just remember  
You're the one thing  
I can't get enough of_

Tony motioned for Tali to go and get the farthest from him possible, the little girl darting to the other side of the stage. 

_So I'll tell you something  
This could be love_

Tali ran with all she had, jumping on Tony's arms just in time with the lyrics.

She opened up her arms as her father lifted her up in the air, a roar of cheers erupting all around them.

_Because I've had the time of my life  
No, I never felt this way before  
Yes I swear it's the truth  
And I owe it all to you_

Tony turned them around, moving them in circles across the floor with a big smile on his lips until he finally put Tali on the ground. 

She giggled and he laughed while Ziva cried. She had no idea they had planned this together, but she was so glad they had each other. 

And they _both_ belonged to her.

A new song started, drums and trumpets erupting the notes as Ziva stood up again, putting the NCIS cap and the photo on her chair.

_Come on baby, let's do the twist_

Tony stretched a hand towards her and Ziva came running, throwing herself in his arms as the guests invaded the stage, the song too contagious to not start dancing.

She kissed him and kissed him, strong arms circling her waist as Tony swept her off her feet, their laughter reverberating beyond the stars.

_Come on baby let's do the twist  
Take me by my little hand and go like this_

Everyone was dancing around them, hands raised to the sky or held together, shoulders shaking and swift feet gliding across the dance floor, little children jumping up and down and older people turning kids again. 

Everything was made of love and laughter, and even the stars danced as well, flashing their light to the miracle that was happening below.

Fate had been kind to them at last.

Sometimes dreams _did_ come true.

°°°

"Nick, I'm fairly certain that you had enough liquid joy for the night."

Kasie eyed him with concern as Torres chugged another glass of white wine.

He turned to her a second too slow, his eyes wide in clear intoxication, "why? The stars look so lovely."

"Yeah, and you look so drunk."

"I'm a happy drunk, not a bad one."

Kasie nodded, taking the glass out of his hand as he looked towards the sky again.

"You always do horrible things, embarrassing things while drunk," she narrowed her eyes, "please don't do that now," Kasie sighed when she remembered she had bet the opposite with Abby, "especially because I'm here to witness, also because it's a party and also because Bishop is not very well."

"Bishop," he repeated, opening a lazy smile, eyes blinking slowly, "love Bishop."

"Uhum, now let's stay still like a very nice dog, I mean, _boy_ ," she patted his strong shoulder, rubbing her hand on her dress when she only encountered sweat, "I want to have a very nice night tonight."

"Night-tonight," he repeated, nodding as if this was the most important information his friend had let out.

"Kasie?"

"Hum?"

"Can you get me two microphones?" Torres' hand sprawled drunkenly in front of her, eyes blinking with slowness.

Kasie's forehead furrowed. She had no idea how he had managed to form a complete sentence.

"Why," was all she said, eyes narrowing to her smiling friend.

"Bishop. Now," he shook his hand, demanding her to comply to his request, a sigh escaping his lips when she didn't, "I'm about to do a horrible thing, an embarrassing thing,"

"Then why do it at all?" Kasie grabbed his shoulders and shook them, "can't you listen to yourself, Nick? Please don't."

"I'll do it because if I don't, it will be really horrible. Very horrible. Horribliest. I'll regret it a lot."

"Okay," Kasie studied his face as Nick cocked his head to the side, batting his lashes to her, "okay, fine."

"Yay."

"Dear lord, if you can hear me," Kasie looked to the night sky, inhaling deeply, "please don't make me regret this."

Nick smiled to her.

°°°

Fingers tapped on the microphone, the sound echoing all around and calling everyone's attention to the stage.

"Good night everyone. Lovely night, loveliest night," Nick smiled wide, body swaying back and forth, "can I have your attention, please? I have a toast to make."

"Oh my God," Ellie cursed under her breath, "is he drunk?"

Kasie patted her shoulder, shrugging, "drunk in love, certainly."

Bishop turned to her, eyes going feral as she met Kasie smiling at her face.

"Oh, don't look at me," she replied, eyebrows raising, "this was muscles' boy fault."

A song started before Ellie could respond.

Nick sounded very sobber for someone who was swaying side to side, losing his balance all the time.

_You're just too good to be true  
I can't take my eyes off you_

His eyes searched for her in the crowd and his neck stretched when he couldn't find her.

Ellie darted to hide under one of the tables, the cream-toned fabric covering her enough to go invisible for now. Only her ankles could be seen from her very secretive hiding place.

_You'd be like heaven to touch  
I wanna hold you so much  
At long last love has arrived  
And I thank God I'm alive_

There was a tone of doubt in his words, one that made Ellie sad but resolute - now she was certain it was directed to her, and that was a great reason to stay hidden.

_You're just too good to be true  
Can't take my eyes off you_

A pair of hands grabbed her wrist and hauled her up from under the table in a swift move. 

Ellie cursed again, but stopped dead once she saw who it was.

"Lost something, Bishop?" 

Tony crossed his arms, eyes glancing at Ziva next to him doing the same, which made a slow smirk found its way to his lips.

"Yeah, yeah, an earring, I was looking for it," Ellie motioned to her ear, voice stuttering as the bride and groom opened wide smiles at her.

_Pardon the way that I stare  
There's nothing else to compare  
The sight of you leaves me weak  
There are no words left to speak_

"Bishop?" asked Ziva, eyes studying her friend closely.

"Hum?" she did her best to hide behind them, neck stretching from time to time to peep at where Torres was.

He was still on the stage, too drunk to find her at the most obvious spot.

Next to the bride and groom of the night.

"You have both earrings," Ziva replied, raising her eyebrows.

"Oh."

Ellie couldn't come up with any response other than that, Nick's voice invading and clouding her senses.

"ELEANOR BISHOP, WHERE ARE YOU?" his voice came out slurred, but steady enough for everyone to understand his words and start searching for her as well.

An electric shock went down Ellie's spine when Nick's eyes landed on her, her heart racing to a thunderous beat in a blink.

"Oh, there you are," Nick got out of the stage and made his way towards her.

Bishop's eyes widened, but she couldn't back away.

Not with Tony and Ziva pushing her forward.

Nick jumped on one chair and then onto the table, the one farthest from her. Some people gasped in surprised and voiced their discontent, but he didn't mind them one bit.

_I LOVE YOU BABY  
And if it's quite all right  
I need you baby_

He started walking towards her, glasses flying out of his way and crashing at the ground. Nick pointed to Bishop with a lazy smile and kept changing between the two microphones he held in his hands, voice going out and reappearing.

Some guests puffed in annoyance, but cleared the way nonetheless, soon encouraging Nick to continue as they noticed he was referring to the young blond with her mouth opened agape at the end of the path.

Gibbs was smiling wide, his eyes twinkling as he looked at Sloane by his side. The woman only shrugged, enjoying the moment.

The trumpets blasted the notes, carrying Nick's hoarse voice with the right pulse.

_To warm the lonely nights  
I love you baby  
Trust in me when I say_

Nick threw glasses, plates and candles out of his way, but everyone was cheering for him and he passed from table to table until Ellie was in front of him, alarmed eyes opened wide. 

He halted to a stop, forehead furrowing once he saw how distressed she looked. 

Nick held a hand up and the band stopped at once, notes dying out with his gesture.

"Bishop?"

Tony nudged her ribs and Ellie took a step forward, heart racing, "... yes?"

Nick inhaled deeply and kneeled, bending down to get to her level.

"Please," he said, eyes twinkling as he opened a hand towards her, " _please_ , take a chance on me."

"Say yes," whispered Abby, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear.

Ellie could feel her pulse on her fingertips, her heart on her throat as she dried swallowed.

She felt every eye of the patio directed to them, her heartbeat roaring in her ears and neck hot with shyness.

A smaller hand met his, shivering and uncertain.

"... okay?" she said.

Nick opened up a big smile and gave her no warning before hauling her up the table, strong hangs stopping her from falling off the edge entirely.

"CARLOS," he called to the man playing the tambourine, "help me out here, man. Just hit it."

"Right away, Mr. Torres."

Nick turned to her, eyebrows raising.

"Trust me?" he asked, handing Ellie the second microphone.

She took it, inhaling deeply to calm her senses. 

"Yes."

And about that, there was no doubt in her voice.

As soon as the first notes of the song sounded, Ellie opened a wide smile.

She stopped shaking.

" _Don't go breaking my heart_ ," sang Nick, hand never leaving hers.

" _I couldn't if I tried_ ," she replied, voice soft in contrast with his powerful one.

" _Honey, if I get restless_ ," he winked at her, and somehow that made it all better.

" _Baby, you're not that kind_ ," Bishop was beaming, letting everything go as her eyes twinkled with joy.

Nick released her hand only to jump to the ground, strong arms lifting her from the table right after.

" _Don't go breaking my heart_ ," his voice echoed all around as he pulled them to the dance floor.

" _You take the weight off me_ ," she replied right on time, shaking her head in disbelief.

" _Oh, honey, when you knock on my door_ ," Nick turned to her, taking her hand once again with a big smile.

" _Ooh, I gave you my key_ ," Ellie's voice sounded more confident, hand taking Nick's without hesitation.

They started to dance together, shoulders shaking in sync as they bend towards each other, fingers intertwining without them noticing. Nick twirled her around, a wide smile on his lips as they sang and laughed, the people cheering next to them, singing the lyrics as well. 

The candles lights burned bright and the stars flashed their light to the lovers, the disco ball casting soft, glittering shadows over their faces. 

It was indeed the loveliest night.

Ellie's laughter echoed around them as Nick stopped singing and lifted her up, hands on her waist. Her own hands quickly found balance on his shoulders, the strong muscles hidden only by the soft fabric of his shirt. Ellie slid down his body, lips coming mere inches from his just before Nick twirled her once again, never losing the beat.

_Don't go breaking my heart  
I won't go breaking your heart_

Their smiles were the same, their hearts racing as they danced and danced together, laughter reverberating all around as the loud tambourine notes pulsated on their veins.

_Don't go breaking my  
Don't go breaking my  
Don't go breaking my heart_

People cheered and clapped along, the two of them the only ones on the dance floor, a neon glow burning around them as the beat continued.

_Don't go breaking my  
Don't go breaking my  
I won't go breaking your heart_

Ellie felt like she never had this much fun all her life, laughter escaping her lips as the song ended with Nick dipping her forward towards the neon tiles.

A roar of cheers exploded when he stole a quick kiss on the corner of her lips, pulling her back up before Ellie herself understood what had happened.

"Eleanor Bishop," he took her hand and kneeled in front of her, making everyone gasp.

Kasie closed her eyes and feigned a faint in Jimmy's arms, opening one of them only to peek at what was going on.

"Elenor Bishop," her name rolled out of his tongue, a big smile opening on his lips as Ellie's eyes remained wide, "don't go wasting your emotion," Nick bent down and kissed her hand, "lay all your love on me."

He kissed it again and lifted his eyes to her, cocking his head.

"Eleanor Bishop," all sound had muted down and she could only hear his voice, hoarse from singing and dancing all night.

"Yes...?" she asked, eyes still alarmed and senses tuned to what he was about to say.

Nick chuckled, kissing her palm one last time before saying the words she'd wanted to hear for _years_.

"Will you go out with me?"


	11. The dance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _“Hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, they danced by the light of the moon.”_  
>  \- Edward Lear

Stars colored the dark blue night sky with speckles of silver, its light flashing from up above as if tiny everlasting fireworks.

[People laughed and chatted out loud](https://66.media.tumblr.com/9aaf1797cd39546b7f895492161d111d/bbb35e1b60c0f8a1-79/s640x960/65158cceda67372d1f992d6dec4dcb1f666db391.jpg), eating cannapés and drinking cold champagne. Candlelight danced on their shadowed faces, making their smiles glow in a golden hue. The band played upbeat jazz, the songs turning more energetic as the night progressed, a promising dancefloor waiting to be used. The smell of saltwater and olive trees incensed the air, the sound of the waves crashing at the bay and the trees slowly swaying all around them fusing into one.

The night air was still but burning, glances thrown from time to time at the band getting ready to smash it at the dancefloor. Some pointed to the black Steinway piano, covered by flowers and olive leaves in one corner of the stage, still unused, even after songs and songs from the show made by the groom. Rumors were starting to spread saying it was just for decoration, but those who knew the family well know they wouldn't put this just to brag.

No, there was always a surprise in store when it regarded _them_.

The bride and groom were catching up with Ducky on one of the tables, the doctor going on and on about a story that happened during the cold war. They had already talked to the majority of the guests, accepting gifts and best wishes and asking about family news. Doctor Mallard was so happy to finally have the time to ask them about how life was, they had gotten themselves into a rabbit hole, Ziva smiling kindly towards their old friend while Tony glanced at her from time to time to send her the secret message of 'here we go again'.

Years had passed.

But nothing had changed. Not _really._

"And there I was, trying to use my just-acquired skills of a naive medical student-"

"I've gotta go. Grab _another_ glass," said Tony with a smile dancing on his lips. Ziva was seeing right through him, he was running away. "Champagne, the water of the fancy," he wiggled his eyebrows, "you want some, wife?"

Ziva chuckled out how his eyes twinkled with him referring to her like that. "Are you going to call me 'wife' for everything now?"

He made a pout, narrowing his eyes as if pondering over her question. "Mmmm," Tony scratched his chin, but his eyes turned to her resolute. "I think I won the right of doing that."

"Okay, _husband_ ," Ziva chuckled when he grabbed the back of her hand and kissed it swiftly. "Cold champagne for me too, then."

"As you wish," Tony smiled, winking at her. This quote seemed to have turned into a favorite of him already.

He tipped his head and patted Ducky in the back before making his way towards the bar, where the boys were cheering loudly at something Nick had said. He was turned to them explaining a story, but for the whole entirety of it, some part of him wasn't focused on that.

No, it was focused on the blonde sitting at his side.

Perhaps it was just the idea of finally letting herself go, but at the end, Ziva didn't mind the reasons.

She had never felt happier, and it was all just because of one person, and one person only.

"Ducky, I got to go," she grabbed his arm and squeezed it gently, while Ducky was still talking about his adventures from times ago. He nodded, saying 'of course' repetitively with a smile, to which her heart only grew.

"I need to make something clear," said Ziva, planting a kiss on his temple before leaving him, but a second later he had already found another partner to talk to.

The bride made her way between the tables, waving towards the variable guests that smiled to her, but not stopping until she got where she wanted to. No one paid too much notice in her, thinking that she was probably searching for Tony or Tali anyway - those two were trouble magnets like no other - and she was invisible, at least for the time being.

"Cheers," said the groom to the bartender, tipping his head in thanks as he got hold of the two glasses of champagne the man had put on top of the glass counter. He sipped one, making his way back to Ducky to take the other one to his _wife_ , he thought proudly.

He didn't get there, though.

Midway from the bar to the other side of the dancefloor, he halted, looking at the stage.

Ziva motioned for him to sit down, while someone from the band got her a microphone with a support.

Tony got hold of one chair with a smug smirk and dragged it to the edge of the dancefloor, making people turn to him, finally paying attention to what was happening at the stage. He sat down, leaning back and raising an eyebrow at Ziva, motioning to the glass full of champagne he'd got just for her. She opened a small smile and Tony shrugged, downing the glass in one go and putting it on the floor, ready to sip on his own next.

It was such a DiNozzo thing to do, she had to smile.

Ziva thanked the man who had helped her climb the stage and arrange the microphone, which was now standing in front of her, ready to be used. She glanced back at the groom and he was lazily looking at her, eyes glinting as if he was savoring a prize he had already won. Ziva huffed a laugh and Tony smirked, the smile soon covered from the glass of champagne he brought up to his lips.

The years they'd spent talking with their eyes had counted for something at least.

"May I have everyone's attention, please?" She said on the microphone, to which people cheered and smiled at her. "Are you guys having fun?" A roar of cheers and whistles sounded all around, making Ziva's beam widen. "Good. I just need to take the stage for a few seconds - no, it will not be an entire show like you just witnessed," Tony opened a big smile at her, "and I promise I will make it quick so we can all dance our souls out."

She laughed alongside the guests, her laughter a sweet sound reverberating with the microphone. Ziva glanced back at Tony, and he hadn't stopped looking at her. Somehow, even after all these years, that always made her heart skip a beat.

She cleared her throat softly, organizing her thoughts.

Tony's heart couldn't be any prouder.

Ziva David was his _wife_.

After a decade of fighting for her, he had finally done it - he had won the most difficult challenge of his life. That suspicious Mossad operative, the one who believed herself unlovable, the one who had turned down his advances for years - was now on a stage talking to the guests of their _wedding._

It was the most precious gift he could've ever asked for.

And now that badass of a woman was his to keep, and he could spend a lifetime doing just that.

"I met a guy, long ago," said Ziva with excited eyes, and his smile grew. "I met a guy long ago at the weirdest encounter you could think of, and I cannot repeat the first words he said in my presence," Tony barked out a laugh - he would never forget them.

 _Sometimes I used to picture you naked,_ he thought, and her smile grew when she noticed he had remembered them too.

"I cannot repeat the words he said to me," continued Ziva with an eyebrow raised, "neither can I repeat my very first impression of him." People whistled and howled, and she laughed in return. "No, no, no, it is not what you think - it was more on the trail of "what _on Earth_ is wrong with this guy?"

Laughter echoed all around and Tony shrugged, laughing to the sky himself.

Her eyes twinkled with joy. "But even after that unusual encounter, that jerk of a stranger," she smiled wide and he did as well, "became my colleague. And then my partner. And then my best friend," her throat closed with that and her voice broke all of a sudden, a rush of emotions running down her spine. "And then he became my home."

Her eyes were already tearing up again, but Ziva held her smile. "Anthony DiNozzo is the most handsome clown you'll ever meet," she smiled alongside the guests and quickly wiped a tear while Tony was just shaking his head, eyes twinkling. "He is just delicious, isn't he?" She added to the roar of whistles, laughing as well, but even with everyone looking at him sitting alone at the edge of the dancefloor, Tony clicked his tongue and was only looking at _her_.

"Don't get me wrong, he is an _absolute_ idiot," she laughed with him and this time he had to agree, "sometimes you cannot believe the situations he gets himself into, and I am not going to even begin about how worried I am that Tali is starting to resemble him on that," she searched around and couldn't find her daughter anywhere, just confirming her suspicions. "But he's also a very loveable idiot. He's our idiot."

"Tony can be the epitome of buffoonery everywhere he goes," she smiled and he just kept on nodding, agreeing with her. "But he is also the most genuine, hard-working and loyal guy you'll ever meet. He'll make jokes about every aspect of you, but he'll defend you with his life if he has to. He's kind, and he's spirited, and just awfully clever - I don't know how many times I gritted my teeth because of his bickering-"

"We were _flirting_ , Dah-veed," his voice was loud and his eyes shone, "I don't know how familiar you are with the English language by now, but it's called 'flirting'."

"Let me finish, you silly duck."

"Goose."

"I am no goose, shut up," she said with a frown, making him laugh out loud. God, this woman was just perfect. "Anyway, my... my husband..."

She glanced down and smiled fondly, getting used to the idea of calling him that. Tony's heart skipped a beat, and he was smiling the widest smile ever. She looked at him again, and it was such an intimate look, some guests turned away to give them that moment.

That moment when the feeling of belonging was palpable in the air.

"My husband," Ziva smiled widely, "loved me when I didn't love myself. He taught me I was worth it. And he was there when no-one else was." They couldn't take their eyes from each other, equal affection spilling from them. "So I just want to make something clear," Ziva gripped the microphone tighter, looking directly at him. "Tali can be my life, but Anthony DiNozzo, you are my home. You are the reason I am alive today and the reason we are all happy in this paradise. You're the reason for everything. You're an idiot, and I love you just like that."

Tony blew a kiss from where he was sitting, eyes dancing with joy. Ziva's smile grew, and the guests cheered while they exchanged a look between them. "I am not the best in expressing my emotions, nor I can find the right words to express how I feel about this man. But throughout the years, my feelings changed and yet somehow they didn't. He was there every step of the way, always bickering at me, fighting for me and protecting me. He jeopardized his entire career for me, and that was only one of the many times he sacrificed himself for me. Some things I cannot even believe he even did, so I just cannot find the right words to express my gratitude."

"I have a song, however," Ziva smiled when Tony's eyebrows shot up, "that can grasp some of the meaning of what I felt all these years."

Their family started to clap loudly, whistling and hollering at the mention she was going to sing again. The bride turned to a member of the band, whispering something the microphone couldn't catch and smiling right after when the man nodded in return. Tony finished drinking his own champagne and put the glass on the ground next to his chair, casting her an amused look that let her know he wasn't expecting this at all.

"To Anthony," she said, raising her chin proudly. "Who has made me laugh every single day since I met him. And who, despite all my efforts against it, has made me find love again."

Glasses were lifted in the air and cheers exploded once they clinked, though Tony was only smiling for her, both glasses on the ground, eyes twinkling and fixed on hers.

She somehow amazed him more every second.

An acoustic guitar started to sound, its soft notes so in contrast with the previous songs they'd just listened on that stage, but somehow so fitting for the new atmosphere that now reigned. The air smelled of seawater and memory, of things happening too fast and not fast enough. Hearts calmed down, though two hearts were racing, eyes unblinking and fixed at that moment. Ziva's hands started tracing the microphone softly, head counting the rhythm. She closed her eyes.

"Found myself today, singing out loud your name," Ziva sang, her smooth voice filling the patio, "you said I'm crazy... if I am, I'm crazy for you."

She could feel the ocean wind tousling out her hair, her heart beating fast but at the same time not unpleasantly. With closed eyes, Ziva could feel the neon lights shadows dancing around against her eyelids, just as she could sense everyone's attention on her, which made her raise her chin proudly. She smiled, knowing the declaration she wanted to make would be successful.

"Sometimes sitting in the dark, wishing you were here, turns me crazy," she said, voice resonating all around. She remembered about the times she had spent alone, fighting for her family, dreaming of happiness and peace. She remembered about the times all she thought about was him, him not being there, the fact that she went into labor without him, raised a newborn baby without him... But Ziva smiled, warmth spreading through her heart as she remembered how many times she had called his name alone. "But it's you who makes me lose my head," she felt like crying out of joy, now knowing they were safe, and happy and alright. Her fingers gripped the microphone.

Finally everything had turned out okay.

They were okay, everything was okay.

"And every time I'm meant to be acting sensible," she said, smile bright, "you drift into my head, and turn me into a crumbling fool".

Ziva opened her eyes, only to find Tony already staring at her with intent focus.

This was _his wife_ , he thought, laughing surprised. He just couldn't believe how lucky of a man he was to have her, to actually hear those words from her after all these years. Years of him feeling insecure about it all, doubtful if she'd ever see him this way, if she'd someday think of him as much as he thought of her.

Tony barked out a laugh as Ziva continued to sing, twinkling eyes directed only to him as her words sank true to his soul. His heart was beating too fast, and he couldn't believe how stunning she looked, the crystals of her wedding dress glittering under the neon lights and her hands tracing the microphone as if she was a professional singer. Her voice was steady and powerful, and the lyrics fit so well to it all, it was as if she was making them up on the spot just for him to listen.

"Lately with this state I'm in, I can't help myself but spin," she sang, opening a big smile. "I wish you'd come over, send me spinning closer to you," Ziva remembered the days all she could think about all him, them hanging out on her apartment when Gibbs wasn't around anymore - that memorable summer, she laughed - them throwing innuendos to each other every day when work turned too heavy, them wishing life had been different, wishing that they'd had a chance to be in each other's lives like something else, like something true.

Now it was all memories, memories that had finally been turned from bitter to nostalgic, moments that they could now laugh about.

And they _were_ laughing, not believing how lucky they were to have each other.

"I keep on trying, fighting these feelings away, but the more I do," she said with a smile that matched the groom's, "the crazier I turn into."

Tony couldn't believe his eyes. His pulse was loud on his fingertips, his skin burning as he rubbed his face in wonder. He realized this was it.

This was what Sinatra sang about.

"Pacing floors and opening doors, hoping you'll walk through and save me, boy." Her heart was racing, and the wonder in Tony's eyes was enough to make it skip a beat. There was only adoration in the way he looked at her, and while others cheered and clapped, he was silent - only a small smile visible on his lips.

"Because I'm too," she sang closing her eyes, pouring her very soul into it, making him see how much she felt for him, for this moment. "Crazy for you," Ziva let her voice wonder, then inhaled deeply, and for once the guests turned silent.

"Crazy for you."

A roar of cheers exploded all around, and McGee jumped from his table to shake the shoulders of a groom who had not left his chair. Ziva was laughing, her big smile turning her face beautiful, a thing he noted he needed to cherish way, way more. As people clapped and patted his back, Tony only shook his head, a small smile the only thing showing his pride. Ziva received the many thanks from the band happily, almost unbelievably happy, eyes twinkling under the moonlight.

She felt strong arms circling her legs and could do nothing except gasp when Tony lifted her from the stage to the floor.

Her feet were still far from the ground once she looked down at him, hands already caressing his hair.

"Say that again," he said.

Ziva smiled. "I'm crazy for you," she replied.

Then Tony kissed her. And he kissed her, and kissed her, not caring about cheers or yells or anyone.

For once in his life things had turned out to be exactly like he dreamed too.

He chuckled once she started to laugh, sliding down her body against his. He noticed how bright the neon lights were in contrast with the dark sky, and he noticed the many fairy lights around the patio and the many eyes focused on them. Bright eyes, filled with laughter. A whole patio filled with joy, utter joy, all around them.

He beamed.

Tony let Ziva down only to lift her up again, carrying her to their table in his arms. The guests cheered and whistled, and he couldn't smile wide enough.

He was actually married to this masterpiece.

°°°

"So she'll have to make the lab's inventory for a whole week," said Kasie, sipping her drink with a wide smile.

"Does that mean you'll be back on the navy yard then, Abby?" asked Jimmy, turning to her excited.

The goth smiled, excited as well. "Yeah, I mean, I've got a week or two between conferences, so it fits," she hugged Kasie from the side, making her giggle. "I miss that lab. And I think I finally found an assistant that's also my equal."

"Two minds, double trouble," said Kasie.

Both of them laughed together, started to plan new things for the lab, while Palmer turned to Gibbs to share his excitement, but his boss only shook his head with a small smile, sipping his bourbon.

"Wait, hold on," said Nick with narrowed eyes, "you guys bet on us?"

He motioned to the blonde now sitting in his side on the long table assigned for the team, where the whole family was assembled. They had already eaten and now were just drinking and laughing together, just waiting for the right time to jump to the dancefloor. Candles threw shadows on their smiles and ocean breeze tousled their hair. Happiness reigned.

With his words, Ellie perked up, raising an eyebrow. Since they'd calmed down from the extravaganza of the number Nick had pulled to ask her out, she couldn't help but glance at him from time to time, wondering if it was all a joke. If it was or not, she wasn't sure, but Nick was laughing as if on cloud nine, his big smile permanent while paying attention to everyone's stories.

"Do you have the faintest idea of how many times we bet on you?" said Kasie, barks of laughter escaping her.

To Nick's merit, he had the decency of looking offended.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, prince charming," said Kasie, "the pool was already up and running when I arrived."

"Yeah," added Jimmy, distracted. "To be fair, McGee always had the upper hand on these things, the only exception was him turning the other way a few years after Ziva left, thinking Tony had changed his mind about-"

"You've been betting on coworkers since before I arrived?!" asked Ellie, surprised.

"Oh, way before that," Jimmy replied. He laughed to himself. "Hey, Tim, do you remember that time Tony and Ziva spent the whole day pulling up pranks with each other and we bet on whom would give up first?"

"Oh, yeah. The day Ziva threw food in the garbage because she thought he'd poisoned it," said McGee. "I mean, we never actually knew if he did, but that was a pretty fun day."

"And that was a quite difficult bet," said Jimmy with a smile, "they kept on fighting until Gibbs intervened."

The boss just kept on drinking and shaking his head, but a small smile was now visible underneath the glass.

"And then," Jimmy was already crying with laughter and McGee turned stiff all of a sudden. "And then Tim lost the bet and he had to-"

"Don't you dare say that out loud."

Jimmy burst out laughing and McGee was trying not to laugh as Abby bugged him to tell what that was about, that it was unfair that she was part of the team around that time and didn't remember said event. The whole team watched Palmer cry out of laughter, while Tim inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, shaking his head as a small smile crept on his lips with the memory.

"Hey, probie," said the groom, a hand shaking him on the shoulder and taking McGee out of his stupor. "It's time."

McGee's smile couldn't be wider when he realized he had been saved by the bell. "OH, I AM BEST MAN. So, I gotta go," he said with a beaming smile, his eyes relieved. The team started to complain, calling his name as he got up and darted towards the stage, ready to do what Tony had asked him to. Jimmy couldn't stop laughing.

"He had to paint his nails matching his outfit for a whole week," whispered Tony to the team, the other ones attentive to what he was saying. "That was the best time of my life."

A roar of laughter exploded all around, and even from afar, McGee knew that secret was now out. Nick whistled loudly, calling him back, but he just shook his head with a smile and kept on walking. He had a job to do.

"Aren't you having the time of your life right now?" asked Jimmy, patting his shoulder as tears still fell from hysteria.

"No, no," said Tony, also crying with laughter, "nothing will ever compare to Timothy McGee worrying about the color of his next-day outfit and if his sister had nail polish the same color at the middle of a crime scene."

"Oh, I thought that was just a _cool_ phase," said Abby, looking hurt.

"Oh, no, you're not wrong. That was the best phase of his life," Delilah replied, also smiling widely, "I'm sure of that."

"See?" said Tony, eyes glinting, "that was the best thing Autopsy Gremlin has ever come up with, and I wasn't even there to applaud his choice of punishment." Tony smiled to the team, eyes shining bright as he remembered the old days. "Oh, to bug McGosling endless for seven marvelous days after that," he sighed.

Jimmy managed to stop his hysteria, but still wiped the tears from his eyes. "And do you remember the coins...?" He almost couldn't phrase his question, starting to laugh again, a hand pressing his already aching stomach.

"What coins?" said Abby, crossing her arms with a frown.

"Tony filled McGee's car with coins after he lost a 1,000 dollars bet."

Everyone turned to Gibbs, who had just replied, but only to find his eyes dancing with laughter, the glass covering his smile. The team exploded in laughter, demanding him to tell more, turning to Tony asking for answers. The groom just barked out a laugh to the sky, leaving towards the dancefloor as he heard the sound of a microphone being tapped echoing on the speakers. It was his cue.

"That's not fair with Timmy," said Abby, but even Delilah was laughing out loud.

"I didn't know you guys were this fun," said Ellie, smiling wide.

"Oh, that's much that goes on behind the scenes that you don't know about, Cinderella," said Kasie. "Thank you for being the subject of our bets all these years, now we'll have to think of an alternative."

Kasie held her hand out towards Jack, who just laughed and placed a 10 dollar bill without saying a word. Ellie's eyes widened once she noticed the bet was still going, but now not even Nick was on her side. He was almost falling from the chair with laughter, tears in his eyes.

She was ready to ask for an explanation when she heard a voice coming from the speakers.

It was time.

One of the band members had sit on the piano and now soft notes echoed all around, slowly and gentle, almost a caress. Ziva stopped midway of her conversation with Breena, turning surprised to the stage. Tony was nowhere to be seen, but McGee was standing there, a proud smile displayed as he grabbed the microphone.

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's give it up," he said, gesturing to a woman and a man waiting just next to the musician already playing for them, "for Mr. and Mrs. DiNozzo first dance as a married couple."

The woman's smooth voice started singing at the same time a roar of claps and whistles sounded all around. The man started playing the cello, his fingers slow on its cords, his head counting the rhythm with eyes closed. The song was gentle - and yet vaguely familiar, but Ziva didn't have the chance to cherish it to question why. Her eyes darted everywhere, searching for the other half of said married couple.

She felt his hand grasping her drink to put it on the table, turning to face Tony already at her side.

“Come, sweet cheeks,” he said with a smile, taking her by the hand. “They’re playing our song.”

Ziva let herself be guided by his charming smile, heart skipping a beat until they were both in the middle of the dancefloor, only fairy lights and candles around them. Her husband pulled her close, holding her hand and placing the other one softly on her lower back. Her own hand automatically raised to his shoulder, and they were moving with such natural instinct she had no time to think. Her eyes tried to find safety in his but encountered a glint of mischief instead.

As the singer continued to create the velvet melody of the song, Ziva let herself listen closely.

"Is that-" she said.

"Yes," he replied without missing a beat.

"But how did you remember-"

"Some things stay with us for good, sweet cheeks."

And that glint in his eyes told her those words had more than one meaning.

"You realize you're going to have to be the girl, right?" Tony chuckled.

Ziva cocked her head, opening a smile. "Then you lead."

He smiled as well, swirling them around. The piano notes echoed all around, making her skin shiver. His eyes didn't leave her face, and somehow she thought this was the most important thing. They swayed slowly in rhythm, letting the slow cadence of the song guide them, and Ziva's hand drifted to the cup his cheek. Tony closed his eyes for a second, leaning into the touch. The singer continued to lay the lyrics on their feet, with words so true that their chest started to hurt, aching with bittersweetness. The trail of Ziva's dress caressed the neon tiles, glittering under the moonlight.

"My heart is beating too fast for me to dance well," she said.

"Shh," Tony pulled her closer, kissing her hairline. "Don't worry. Act like you're just with me."

The held each other close, and Ziva laid her head on his chest. Tony wondered if she could feel his own heart pounding inside, so he brought their conjoined hands to the place just above it. Her eyes drifted up to his, and he hugged her tight. The song continued, but there one else on that patio anymore. There were only candles, and palm trees and moonlight. The melody was crystal clear, velvet smooth and as soft as a lover's caress, making them dizzy as they stared into each other's eyes. Ziva pressed her lips tenderly on his, closing her eyes. He closed his as well, feeling her with him.

After a moment that seemed to stop time itself, Ziva broke up the kiss with a soft chuckle, letting her head fall to his chest again, if only to hide her falling tears.

Tony said nothing, kissing her hair as he led them in rhythm with the song, swaying from side to side.

The song was honey to their ears, and the waves were applause carried from the ocean itself. The wind howled, singing their song and whistling its cheers. And at that moment, there was only them. Only two halves of the same coin, now sighing together relieved, an ex-cop and an ex-assassin finding peace at last. This time, no suspects were running away. There were no car crashes, accidents, or fights. There was no worry, nor doubt, nor distress.

They kept on dancing together, holding each other close.

And after years of battling for this, for being together, for having a family, their happiness had finally arrived, and both of them finally had the ending they'd deserved all along.

The new beggining.

No one, not even the past, would stop them now.

Everyone sighed relieved.

 _At last_ , thought them both as their hearts ached the same and the tears fell in silence. Tony held Ziva's trembling hand in his and gripped it tightly, just above his thundering heart. She sighed in his arms, letting him hold her, listening to the safety in a heartbeat that matched her own. No words were needed to express anything, the song stated their thoughts without needing them to. So they continued to dance, letting their souls speak and the stars weep. The groom kissed the bride's hairline again, inhaling her ocean and shea butter scent. His favorite scent.

He was her home, and she was his sea.

 _At last_ , both of them sighed relieved.

At last.

°°°

"A coffee shop?"

"Too plain."

"A bowling alley?"

"Too loud."

Ellie chuckled. "Why did you even ask me on a date then?"

Laughter danced in Nick's eyes. "Cause, I don't know, I might like you or something."

Ellie let herself turn around from where she laid against his chest. His arm was wrapped around her shoulders and they watched the married couple dance silently, alone in the middle of the dancefloor. Neither of them wanted to admit it, but the sight of their friends together led them to the same trail of thought - would they ever be this lucky?

Since Bishop let out a loud yelp of surprise and fell into Torres' arms when he asked her out on a date, they'd started thinking of a good location for it. Yes, she was happy - and sometimes when she glanced at him she couldn't even help her feeling light fireworks inside her stomach - but she was also really amused by how perfectionist her partner had turned all of sudden. What Ellie didn't know, however, was that when it came to her, Nick wouldn't spare any efforts of making it right.

She looked at him, studying him watch Tony and Ziva on the dancefloor, a distant look on his face as the couple moved in sync, not noticing there was a whole world around them. Bishop let her eyes drop to his strong jaw, and she laughed to herself. They weren't even on their first date and she already wanted to kiss him.

Nick finally looked down at her, a small smile opening in his lips. "What," he asked, though the glint in his eyes told her he already knew what she was thinking.

"Just wondering," Ellie replied, eyes dancing as they met his.

"Hmm," said Nick, pulling her closer and kissing her forehead with ease. She closed her eyes to his warm touch, cherishing the closeness. He held her tightly. "Hey, tater tots?"

"Yeah, babe?"

She felt rather than saw him laugh at the nickname - the one she so constantly asked him not to use - and was glad they understood each other so easily. It made her heart swell.

"What do you think... about a date here?"

Ellie moved to look at him again, surprised. "Here as in... here in the island...?"

"Yes," said Nick with a big smile, "I mean, I'm sure there are a few very nice places we can choose from. You could put your polka-dot bikini, I could lose my shirt-"

"What about work?" she cut him off, raising an eyebrow at his suggestions. Nick only shrugged in response, as if to tell her he needed at least to have tried.

"I'm sure Gibbs can understand. He does seem to have other things in mind," said Nick, motioning to their boss sitting a few chairs ahead from them. He was laughing alongside Senior and Vance, his rare smile wide and evident. They seemed to be sharing stories, the three men comfortable with each other as if long-lasting friends. Gibbs did seem to have other things in mind.

Family. Friends. Happiness.

Ellie smiled, noticing Jack join the conversation after thrown out of her stupor of watching the ex-agents first dance, the corners of her mouth quickly turning up to add a smart comment to their story. They all laughed, then turned to watch Tony and Ziva again, each one of them with a fond look in their eyes for a different reason, but all filled with joy.

That seemed to be the right place to let happiness find its way in after all.

"Okay," she agreed, to which Nick smiled in return. "Bikini, uh?"

"I can teach you how to surf," his smile danced in his eyes.

"Dangerous," Ellie replied, pulling his arm around her closer and turning to rest her head on his shoulder, feeling his warmth spreading to her body. "I like it, bad-boy. Teach me how," she kissed his cheek and Nick felt there's no place he would rather be than there.

His soft laughter sealed their deal, and Ellie placed another soft kiss on his jaw, laughing as well.

The song came slowly to a stop, the singer's powerful voice calmly carrying the melody until the very end, along with the low reverberating notes of the cello and the echoing beats of the grand piano. Tony and Ziva almost didn't stop, swaying to the ghost of a song, together in another world. The loud claps and cheers coming from the tables, however, took them out of their daze, and Tony let his eyes focus again, looking down at her. Ziva smiled softly, a shy smile he swore she used only for him, a curl coming lose from her hair updo to fall over her eyes.

His heart swelled, and he stopped moving, rising their intertwined hands to his lips, eyes still fixed on hers. Ziva beamed, the gesture familiar to the one he did years ago when he'd ask her to return home with him.

Now they were forever at home, independently of the place they went.

Her smile made his face lit up and joy exploded in his chest.

DiNozzo gave her no warning before turning her around and making her dip, the extravaganza never leaving him, and the patio exploded in a roar of cheers. She gasped and soon after chuckled, but the sound was muffled by the way he kissed her, laughter crashing when lips touched familiarly, almost a habit by now. Her hands quickly tugged in his short hair, and Tony closed his eyes, inhaling her scent. Even for a moment, it was as if they were kissing each other for the first time all over again, the constant need of "more" an invariant of it. It was infinite, but it couldn't have lasted longer than a few seconds, they did have a crowd that time.

He turned her around swiftly, placing a soft peck again on her lips before steading Ziva by the shoulders, laughter already on his lips again.

God, she was drunk for this man.

Tony enlaced his fingers between hers again and pulled her towards a corner of the dancefloor, smiling his charming signature grin widely towards the guests, while she just followed along, laughing as well without restraints.

They were young again.

"May I steal this for a song?" he said, showing his best carefree smile. "I promise to give it back, I just have to woo someone."

"There's no need to woo me, you idiot," said Ziva chuckling, "we are already married. It happened a couple of hours ago."

"Inconceivable," he retorted with his grin, "I have to keep up my game. What if you run away with a prince or something?"

"What prince?" She put her hands on her hips, casting him an amused look.

"So you _are_ plotting something. I'm not gonna give away any names, if that's what you're asking. This is a trap, I know it. I know how you think Dah-veed. You want me to share the names of my-"

She punched his arm, motioning to the person standing next to them with a sharp move of her chin. He rubbed the spot she'd hit, laughing, but soon turned to the one he was talking to before. The man stood from where he was sitting on the stool and just chuckled, watching them bicker. He said nothing, just gestured at the piano for them to sit and left, smiling to the night.

It was as if he too was happy they were married.

Tony sat and gave Ziva a hand to help her sit by his side. His eyes were dancing, watching her get closer to him with a big smile. She looked stunning, dark curls glittering sith a soft silver hue. The flowers in her hair gave her such freshness, he wondered when was the last time she had let herself dress up like that.

He smiled to himself, thinking how some things had changed, for now she was constantly letting herself cherish things better, not taking anything for granted. She looked beautiful, and carefree and happy, nothing like the broken warrior he was used to seeing. He wondered if he had any hand in that, but soon came to the conclusion that she did it all by herself and _for_ herself. She _was_ still a warrior, and was beautiful now because she'd finally won her greatest battle.

Finally she'd let herself be happy.

He started playing the ivory keys [with a flourish of his hands](https://66.media.tumblr.com/a1c1f8ceba33f3ebdb308c381c1799b4/bbb35e1b60c0f8a1-f1/s640x960/ee80a87859e6ef909c26179926dece88a83113af.jpg), quick fingers starting an upbeat tune fit for a night at a saloon. Ziva began to laugh, her smile big towards the moon as Tony glanced at her from time to time to catch that precious sight. The guests started clapping in rhythm, yelling 'OPAH' when the song increased its energy, the air at the patio soon changing to utter joy again.

He finished the improvised song with a halt, the notes loud but clear, his beam evident towards his bride. She giggled as well, feeling her heart swell with his charm.

Ziva didn't remember the last time she had felt like this. Probably never before.

"Tony?" She said when the laughter had subsided to a smile. Her cheeks were red and her face hurt from being this happy.

"Mmm?"

"Whose piano is this?"

"Why do you ask? Probably the one I asked from-"

"Why does it have Tali's initials on it?"

Ziva turned to him with both eyebrows raised, challenging him to deny it. Tony's eyes glittered but he held his ground, opening a lazy smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, his hands calmly lowing down to rest on his lap.

Ziva's eyes narrowed and she glanced at the edge of the keyboard. At first, she didn't notice how similar the grand piano was to the one they had at home, miles away at their living room in a small apartment in Paris. But then she paid more attention to the lack of shining at the ivory keys that gave away the years of use, along with little initials carved at the edge of the wood, so small she didn't notice at first. It was covered in jasmine flowers and olive branches, but that shouldn't have gone past her senses. To be fair, if it wasn't their piano, Ziva would have been really surprised to know it belonged to another someone called 'T.D.D.'.

"Anthony DiNozzo, did you just ship _our_ piano from _our_ living room back in Paris all the way to Greece only to play it for a single-night event?"

His eyes danced with laughter. "Ziva David, how indiscreet. Why would I? It's not like I care for this night or something, it's only my wedding."

The groom started playing again some random upbeat melody, raising his chin at her and winking shamelessly. Ziva had to laugh, the soft chuckle echoing all around.

She let it pass, enjoying how clever he was about everything. She had no idea how he'd managed to do that without her noticing, but she was smart enough to not ask about it.

She was surprised, though, to not have ever noticed Tali's initials on their piano since she came back to live with them. They must have come up with this while she was away, and the thought of a father carving up his little girl's initials on something so timeless made her tear up against her will.

Ziva didn't let her thoughts drift too much regarding all the time they lost being together as a family, but sometimes she got across something like this and her heart couldn't take it.

He somehow sensed that, giving her a sideways glance and immediately turning the song into a calmer tune.

"I carved it for her. She didn't hold any knives, if that's what you were wondering," his eyes turned soft.

Hers as well. "I wasn't. Did she asked you to do it?"

"Oh, no. She couldn't stop climbing on the keys when I was playing, so I said that if her name was here next to me, she wouldn't need to do so," he smiled. "Somehow she bought it and I got to learn how to finally play this old thing right for a change. I don't think she even remembers it by now."

"I bet she does," Ziva replied.

"If she doesn't, we'll show her again some day. Together."

She smiled softly. He got her so well sometimes it was as if he read her own thoughts, and it always made her glad to have somebody like him in her life. She was complicated, but every single time he didn't fail to make it all easier. Tony smiled as well, [bending down to kiss her shoulder](https://66.media.tumblr.com/24c159aec654d25f584ff4881ec0b855/bbb35e1b60c0f8a1-69/s500x750/ec00f49962a691d891c26ecfb91f62ce4dbf5260.jpg). His hands slowed down to a soft melody, honey to her ears. The sea breeze caressed her skin and Ziva felt a huge intake of peace while hearing him play.

Somehow she just knew, that even with dozens of guests and family member and friends watching the show, that melody was a direct message to her and her only.

 _This is for you_ , it said.

_You won't be alone anymore, I have you now._

She inhaled deeply, her chest aching, but nothing stopped her from opening the biggest smile towards the stars.

Tony had always been amazed by how strong Ziva was, but somehow she outdid herself every day. He noticed how hurt she felt when it regarded the years she'd spent away from their daughter, even if she tried not to let it show. He noticed the wounds and the battle scars and the fears. And even then, even after everything, Ziva still held her chin high, not letting it bring her down for too long. Her resilience made him admire her, respect her and cherish her even more, and sometimes he doubted if one could fall in love like that, all over again, every single day.

He certainly could.

"Ladies and gentlefolk, friends and pals," he said towards the microphone on top of the keys, "toast with me," he turned to her again, his eyes shining with affection. The guests all lifted their glasses in the air one more time, excited to be part of this precious moment. His hands stopped playing the slow tune for a moment to watch her beside him. A smile lit up her face. He thought again for the thousand time that night she looked stunning.

Tony huffed out a breath, not believing his fate. He kissed her shoulder one more time, taking longer this time. Ziva's eyes followed his moves, her mouth opened in a carefree smile.

"To Ziva," his eyes shone once he straightened up again, a smile dancing on his lips. "Who has fought every battle with every fiber of her being, ultimately winning them all. And who, day after day, makes me feel like I'm living in a dream."

His swift fingers created a soft melody that sent a shiver down Ziva's spine, and soon after he started playing, his voice followed and it stunned her how clear it was. He had a smooth, low voice, the words leaving his tongue filled with emotion, and she asked herself if she'd ever heard him sing like that. Tony closed his eyes and poured his heart on the lyrics, knowing she would understand it was his way of expressing himself. Ziva studied his sharp profile, framed against the moonlight and neon shadows. Her heart skipped a beat when he smiled with eyes closed.

"I could hold you for a million years," he chuckled, looking at her sitting next to him. Ziva watched him with soft eyes, her heart racing and swelling with every word. "To make you feel my love," he leaned closer to her, singing this in her ear, typical DiNozzo style.

"Go to the ends of the Earth for you," he said, his voice breaking a little, "to make you feel my love."

He had searched for her even when she couldn't find herself, not backing down until he got to her, time after time. Ziva knew that, and sometimes she couldn't believe how lucky she was. She had a man by her side that not only respected her and cherished her, but also tried and tried without giving up to get her to see how he felt. She couldn't live without him, and to know he felt the same without hesitation made her soul go warm.

Tony continued to sing and she continued to watch him, eyes never leaving his face even if his fingers trailed the ivory keys with ease.

She was so focused on the moment she jumped on her seat once a hand squeezed her shoulder, making her turn with a halt. Tony chuckled at her not-so-Ziva reaction, but soon resumed to sing. She glanced up to the person who had materialized at her side, but soon her features softened once she realized who it was.

Gibbs didn't wait for an answer before taking her hand and pulling her gently towards the dancefloor, only a slight nod coming from her husband as encouragement.

He softly pulled her close and Ziva placed her other hand on his shoulder, swaying from side to side with the slow cadence of the song. She glanced up, questioning his actions, but her former boss only cast her a small smile.

"Gibbs, I-" she said, but then her voice died. She didn't know _what_ to say, exactly. She had an idea of what this was about, the shining glint in his eyes confirmation enough.

"No need, Ziver," was all he replied. He pulled her close and planted a soft kiss on her hairline. "It's a gift for me too."

Her heart ached. Just as it was a gift for her to consider her the father figure who had always been so different from her own, he considered her as the daughter he never got the chance to see it grow. Yes, they had made mistakes, and yes, he'd sometimes broke her heart - especially when he didn't come to find her once she got missing - but that didn't erase the years of support and protection he'd given her. The encouragement and love she always wanted her own father to have, but Eli had always just seen her as a name, a weapon, an asset, not someone to cherish this way.

Ziva felt very lucky all of a sudden, and thought for the tenth time that evening if destiny had finally eased her path.

As they moved slowly in sync to her husband's song, ex-mossad liaison officer Ziva David felt the tears fall down her cheeks, but her lips were opened in a big smile.

She finally had everything she'd ever dreamed of.

Gibbs held her steadily, kissing her hairline from time to time and making her heart fill with peace. She felt his own chuckle against her forehead, and with that she rested her head on his shoulder, breathing deeply.

Father and daughter continued to dance, not a word needed between them.

"No, no, no," said Senior, trying to stop her from going to the wrong place, "Tali, you can't go there, sweetie. Not now, wait a bit."

His attempts of holding her, however, had predictably failed, and Tali darted to the dancefloor where her mother was standing. Senior went running a second later, trying again to get a grip on her but that little ninja was just too fast. When she got close to Gibbs and Ziva, however, she halted. The agent had noticed the little girl there and winked at her, but the bride had her eyes closed, her breathing difficult as warm tears traced her cheeks.

"Come, Tali," said Senior, nudging her softly on the shoulder, "do you want to dance with pop-pop?"

The little girl quickly looked at him, who was squatting down to her level and holding out a hand. And with that, in a second, she forgot about the confusion of meeting her mother already dancing, giggling and jumping to her grandpa's arms.

"That's right, sweet girl," said Senior, "be my princess tonight."

Tony continued to sing, his face lightening up as he watched Tali step onto his father's feet, while Senior made her dance slowly in rhythm with the song. He glanced at Ziva, and she had her eyes closed with her head resting on Gibbs' shoulder. A small smile opened in her lips and his heart grew with the sight.

The gentle notes of the piano echoed all around, carried by the wind and spreading towards every direction of the night sky. The guests were silent, watching the scene with teary eyes, familiar with their history and every obstacle they had to battle through to get here.

Jimmy stood up, walking slowly towards the dancefloor. His lips were opened in a wide grin towards the little girl in his arms, Victoria sporting the same kind smile. He pointed to Tony playing at the corner of the stage and she laughed, waving at him. The groom winked at her back, making her giggle. The doctor started to dance as well, talking quietly with his daughter and pointing to random things at the dancefloor - the disco ball, the piano, the stars - to which all she did was giggle, her father's smile growing.

A low chuckle escaped Tony's lips even with the aching feeling of the lyrics. McGee had stood up as well and went to the dancefloor with his daughter, Morgan now stepping on his toes as he tried to find the right rhythm. He couldn't, but the combination of both of them was so adorable, no one seemed to mind. Tony's smile only grew the groom suddenly realized all his old team had grown to be parents.

Had became parents of little girls. Brilliant, perfect girls, bound to be great.

It came to no surprise to him when a tall joyous goth came jumping towards the dancefloor, carrying an old grinning doctor by her hand. Abby didn't even care to dance in the right position, she just hugged Ducky tightly and started swaying in rhythm, closing her eyes. The doctor laughed, shrugging towards the groom, who just chuckled in return towards the sky.

Ziva opened her eyes with the sound, and a hand shot up to her mouth as she laughed surprised by the number of people on the dancefloor, all fathers and daughters dancing with wide smiles displayed. Tony was still playing, his voice a sweet caress coming from the edge of the stage. She searched for him and their eyes met in a second, shortening the distance between them.

"You ain't seen nothing like me yet," he said, eyes dancing with laughter.

Ziva wiped a tear that wet her cheek, laughing with him. She couldn't believe this was her life now.

"I could make you happy, make your dreams come true," Tony sang just for her, "there's nothing that I wouldn't do."

His hands stopped and hovered midair above the piano. Ziva smiled. She somehow understood that those words were both a reminder and a promise.

She nodded slightly, opening the biggest smile and turning to Gibbs. He helped her wipe her tears and hugged her tightly, moving their bodies gently even if the song had stopped.

"Go to the ends of this Earth for you," Tony's voice sounded, directed at her and only her. "To make you feel my love."

The stars wept as well, smiling down at the sight.

Moonlight clothed the dancefloor, and as fathers and daughters smiled to one another, holding each other close, the groom smiled as well, happy with his toast. Their eyes met again and softened, utter affection pouring from them. DiNozzo winked at her, the corner of his lips tilting upwards. Even with such a little thing as that, Ziva's heart skipped a beat, swelling from love. His promise was hidden but still clear to all, and she couldn't thank the heavens enough to have him in her life.

"To make you feel my love," he said.

It would take much to get rid of him now.

°°°

When the song ended, the groom stood at the piano, looking at the keys, unsure if he played another upbeat tune or continued with the soft melody for a while. He looked at the dancefloor. The other pairs had already stopped dancing and returned to their seats - a feeling of peace spreading around - except his wife and former boss. The man squeezed her shoulders and kissed her forehead one more time, whispering something only she could hear. Ziva smiled and let him go, to which Gibbs waved at Tony on the piano, who only tipped his head, watching him go.

Abby had already run to Ziva, followed by a smiling doctor right behind her, and soon Ducky and the women were already talking with smiles on their faces, in the middle of the dancefloor. Ziva wiped her cheeks and he realized she'd been crying, though she seemed okay now. Tony smiled.

Ziva David would never be alone, ever again. She had a family now.

A hand grasped his shoulder softly and he turned around, blinking the sudden daze out of his eyes. When he saw who it was, his face lit up instantly.

"Tali David DiNozzo," he beamed and his daughter giggled hearing her name. "You look absolutely splendid. Here, hop on, let's show them what you can do with your piano."

Tali laughed sweetly, already darting to his side and pressing the keys randomly, not even waiting to sit down. He had to smile, she was so eager to create music, he asked himself for a moment if she would turn up with a voice as beautiful as her mother's.

"Junior," his father's hand was still on his shoulder. Senior looked at him softly, wondering if the right decision was to leave him alone with a moment with Tali.

But no, he thought resolute. There was a more important thing to do.

"Let me take care of this song," said Senior. "This girl needs some dancing to get the energy out of her system."

"Oh, it never works, trust me," Tony chuckled. "It's like she's connected to a power engine."

"Junior, please. Let me do this for you."

"But... I thought you couldn't play?" said Tony, eyes turning to him amused.

"I had to win your mother somehow, hadn't I?" Senior chuckled, and for once, his son asked himself if he was more like his father than he thought. "I'm more than just good looks, Junior."

Tony huffed out a laugh, the man answering his own question. He looked at the little girl still lost in her world, pressing the piano keys in random and with vigor, giggles coming out from her mouth. She suddenly glanced up and him, with the softest smile ever. His heart swelled.

"Okay," said Tony. "Just don't play anything vulgar."

Senior chuckled and the groom stood up, raising Tali to his arms and out of the piano space. She made a pout for a second, but as soon as she was being rocked by him, her face beamed again.

"Oh, I know very little, but I've got a few tricks up my sleeve," said Senior with a smile. He sat down, hands flourishing testing the keys. Turned out Tony was wrong about him after all. "I'm a DiNozzo and that's what we do. Now go. Someone is in need of a ballad."

He motioned his chin to the dancefloor, and when the groom turned to where he was pointing, he realized it was more than just a direction.

Abby had hugged Ziva tight and now made her way back to the tables, leaving the bride alone on the dancefloor. For a second, she looked up, not noticing him watching her. Ziva closed her eyes and smiled, the biggest smile ever directed towards the stars. His chest ached.

He walked towards her and she broke her trance, smiling towards him instead. Tony put Tali down on the ground and Ziva bent down to talk to her daughter, fixing her hair. Tali giggled, the sweet laugh very similar to her mother's.

Senior started to play.

The soft notes echoed around the dance floor, the candles golden shadows swaying with the wind. The night had a warm quality to it, the sound of the relentless waves on the background and the eventual clink of glasses bringing peace to everywhere around. Minds were dizzy with sparkling champagne and smiles were exchanged more often than not, to friends, to family, to no one in particular, and the moon smiled as well, shining from up above.

Bellies were already full of cake and wine, the sweet after taste of marble halvah and tiramisu still reminiscent on their tongues. Children still ran around the olive trees and between tables, for once excited that the party had allowed them to seek their own adventures way past their bedtime, with only the fairy lights guiding their feet.

The adults sat on the three long tables around the wide pergola, watching the family in the middle of the dancefloor. Under their feet were light neon tiles, the colors mixing to a daze of hues, while above their heads was only starlight, bright and shining and silver, millions of stars stretching beyond the eye could see.

There was a miracle happening, the blissful feeling of togetherness sending shivers to everyone's backs. This was a place where things happened unexpectedly and yet took ages to happen. Fate worked alongside Coincidence and brought everyone close, now watching three people dancing with matching souls to a song from a man which was known for avoiding the piano - for it brought memories of a past not fully cherished.

And still, there they were, a father, a mother and a daughter, dancing together and laughing to the sky, while a man revisited his memories with his long-gone wife, feeling her right beside him as he continued to play.

And at that moment, everyone knew. Everyone knew that this was very special. The power of a found-family to find each other again and cherish a new family together at last.

At that moment, everyone knew.

This place was meant for miracles.

Tony chuckled, twirling both Ziva and Tali with each arm, then pulling her closer to him. His two ladies giggled, joy spilling from their laughs. The soft notes continued to reverberate all around, and the newly-married locked eyes, finding comfort in their matching feelings.

They smiled and the glint in their eyes was the same. They exchanged a saying both of them dreaded on and dreamed of for years, a secret hidden behind long night glances and double meaning actions after hard days of work.

 _I finally found it_ , they said. _I found happiness with you._

Tony raised Tali from the ground to his arms, her sweet giggles muffling the song for a moment. Even if the little girl was getting too heavy to hold in his arms, nothing would stop him from doing it, and Tony prolonged the gift of holding her as much as he could. His wife came closer, hugging his other side and putting a strand of Tali's hair behind her ear.

Ziva felt him kissing her hair and smiled, angling her face towards him. Tony reciprocated, eyes shining with joy. She placed her lips softly on his, closing her eyes briefly only to laugh seconds later with Tali complaining about the kiss. Tony cast her a pout and [Ziva tickled her sides](https://66.media.tumblr.com/f7b2bb0125e2979822958e6dbf32bda1/bbb35e1b60c0f8a1-4f/s640x960/3cee60020bb0f52f67f9b6fff16416c7dfd1c6c2.jpg), making the little girl giggle even louder, their love evident and true.

"Look, motek," said Ziva pointing upwards, "look at the stars."

Tali tilted her face up, eyes widening at the abundance of the multiple shining little speckles of dust, covering the night sky in silver. Her mouth hanged agape and Ziva had to laugh.

"And even with all this light, mon coeur," said Ziva, cupping her cheek, "I bet the stars would be so proud to know their fragments created someone like you. You'll shine the brightest, you'll see. Never forget that."

Tali looked back at her, her eyes filled with wonder, letting her words turn to memory. Ziva opened the biggest smile, her face lightening up once her daughter mimicked her, smiling as well.

Tony was in awe. He couldn't be prouder. He couldn't be happier. He certainly couldn't be more in love.

He pulled Ziva close with his free arm, circling her waist. "You're my star, Dah-veed," he said in her ear, his heart swelling.

Ziva turned to him, shining eyes meeting teared up ones. She kissed his cheek softly, the salty taste of tears wetting her lips.

"Come, Tali," she said with the biggest smile. Tony smiled as well, letting her wipe his tears. "Time for the shark attack."

The little girl smiled wide, her excitement clear at her mother's words. Ziva muttered the jaws theme song briefly only to jump on Tony's cheek, planting a popping kiss there at the same time Tali kissed his other side. They giggled, and the groom couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"Now my turn," said Ziva.

She showed them her cheeks and they did what she asked, planting a kiss on each side with a sounding 'pop'. She closed her eyes, inhaling deeply. Every time they did that, without fail, it was the best feeling in the world.

"Now it's Tali's turn," said Tony, mouthing the jaws theme song and getting his face closer to hers as Ziva did the same on her other side.

"Mwah," said her mother, planting a sounding kiss as her father did the same on her other cheek, laughter escaping everywhere.

The two of them looked in wonder to the little girl, amazed by how beautiful she looked laughing that freely.

She was a miracle.

The bride rested her face on his shoulder, and Tony started swaying side to side in rhythm with the soft melody of the song. Tali's giggles quickly subsided to gentle breathing, and as her grandfather continued to play his soul out on the family's piano, she lightly drifted off to sleep in her father's safe arms. Tony held both his wife and daughter, his heart exploding in his chest with the bliss of having a family.

For this was finally his family, and now he felt complete.

Life could end right now and he would go in peace, knowing what happiness feels like, with both his treasures in his arms.

Ziva kissed his cheek again, the touch warm on his skin as her lips were as tender as ever. The three of them stood dancing together, and Ziva hugged him closer as her heart raced as well. She never felt so at peace, and it was all because of this man.

"And you, Anthony DiNozzo," she said, her heart bursting with an abundance of love, "you are the reason."

°°°

"Want some?"

" _Hell no_."

Nick looked amused at Kasie, a plate filled with cream stuffed cannoli and his mouth already full of them. She double glanced at him, her words sinking, and in a minute her eyes turned apologetically and he had to do his best not to laugh cannoli crumbs everywhere.

"Sorry. I ate a dozen of them already," she said.

"Well, I ate at least thirty," he replied, his mouth still full. Nick sat by her side, eyeing the family dancing together on the dance floor. He chuckled at the sight.

"You're spreading cannoli everywhere," said Ellie, judgemental eyes turning to him as she arrived with a plate with fresh strawberries.

He quickly wiped his crumb covered mouth, swallowing the one he was chewing. "You can't possibly eat just one of them..." Nick shrugged.

"Exactly, I ate way too many," said Kasie."And Miss Kasie Hines came to Greece to dance like the folks in Mamma Mia, and she plans to do exactly like that if her stomach lets her to."

"What's Mamma Mia?" Nick was already stuffing his mouth again with more sweets, while Ellie wondered how he kept his body so fit, watching him attentively as she chewed a strawberry.

"ABBA," the blonde replied, eyes going up and doing his face and body, calculating and wondering. He must have noticed, for he cleared his throat and puffed his chest a bit, his muscles visible from under his shirt. She chuckled, not surprised.

"As in _father_?"

"What? _Father_?!" said Kasie.

"Well, doesn't Tali call Tony that?" said Nick.

Kasie cackled, people turning to her when her laughter was too loud, and she quickly apologized to the other guests still watching Senior play the piano. She had a really hard time keeping her laughter subsided.

"What...?"

"ABBA as in the _band_ , Nick," said Jimmy with a smile. "But to be fair, 'abba' is not only a Hebrew name for father, it also appears in Aramaic liturgy and prayers to God, for example in the Kaddish-"

"Oh, you and your rambling. You're turning Ducky," Kasie dismissed him and Jimmy chuckled nonetheless.

"I think that happened a long time ago," said Breena, who only laughed when Jimmy turned to her with both eyebrows raised. "In a good way, I mean."

"Okay, creepy," said Nick, eyes darting from Breena to Jimmy. He turned to Ellie, "do I like this... ABBA?"

"Well, how would _I_ know?" she replied.

"Aren't you supposed to like _me_?"

"I love ABBA," said Jack, her eyes distant as if reliving far off memories. "Nothing like 'Super Trouper' or 'Dancing Queen' to change my whole mood."

"I thought you'd be an 'SOS' type of woman," said Kasie.

"Why do you say so?" Jack's eyes turned to her, interested.

"Have you watched the movie? You're practically Donna Sheridan and Gib-"

"I love Mamma Mia," intervened Delilah, her eyes wide and alert, motioning to the man who had just arrived at the table. Gibbs carried a new glass of whiskey on the rocks and smiled in a way he knew they were talking about him. "I watch that movie at least once a year, it is so fun," she continued. "I like to think Tim is just some alternate version of Harry Bright who just skipped all the rockstar years. He's a very spontaneous person."

"I am not spontaneous at all. It took me months to even write my speech," McGee retorted.

"That's exactly my point, darling," she winked with a smile.

"What I know is that Kasie Hines consumed too much liquid joy not to dance till her feet hurt on this pretty neon floor," said Kasie.

"Awnnn, I want to dance too," Abby made a pout.

"Why do you speak in third person and judge me when I do?" asked Nick to Kasie.

"Because I'm a cool person."

"And I'm not?!"

"I have the right to remain silent," she replied.

The team shared bickers of laughter and familiar retorts, mocking each other as they did best. Kasie's eyes wandered to the dancefloor again, but now watched closely the newlywed holding their daughter sandwiched between them, dancing with eyes closed. She very much wanted to dance until the sun rose, yes - her own skin was already burning with the anticipation of letting herself go - but something in that moment made her stop laughing. As much as she joked about it, Kasie would have also fight with teeth and nails if someone disrupted the family dancing to the soft piano notes. She knew how special this moment was and how much time they had to wait for this to happen.

She smiled, proud to be part of this story.

But as much as the stars shone and the air smelled of a happy ending, the story didn't stop.

_There was still much story to tell._

The song turned slower and slower, the notes crafted from the swift hands of a man who stared at more than the dark night sky, his eyes distant as if reliving a memory. His fingers stopped and the song came to end, a warm smile lightening up his face as he let himself be proud of the past for a change.

Loud applause took him out of his daze, and Senior turned to his son at the dancefloor, smiling broadly to Tali who had just woken up with the noise in his arms. Senior chuckled, happy he got a second chance to see his son grow out to be a great man. With a gorgeous, strong and clever woman at his side, who could push him and hold him, an equal in every way. He sighed, missing the love of his life, but now a warm feeling spread from his chest to his fingertips, very far from the common numbness he felt when he thought of her.

A little girl came running towards the piano, her light curls bouncing with her movements and her gap-toothed smile displayed proudly just for him.

It was as if for a moment the Earth slowed down, and Anthony DiNozzo Senior realized the glint of his granddaughter's smile carried a memory of someone long gone. Of someone who had never truly left, not really, her laughter still hidden in a cold coffee cup left on the top of the table or the wind of a sunny afternoon. Some details remind him of her, almost screamed her name to him, but nothing had ever made his heart ache like that.

The sight of the future running towards his arms reminded so much of another smile from the past, it was suddenly difficult to breathe.

"How do you say, Tali?" said Ziva, laughter dancing in her eyes as she looked at her father-in-law.

"Thank you," she said in a sweet voice, merged with giggles as she jumped in his arms, not wanting for an invitation.

Over the tight hug, Senior's eyes locked with his son's, and the groom only nodded, as if reading his thoughts.

As if knowing that it had taken too long for them to be here, to find happiness and to cherish this new beginning. As if knowing little moments like this, like a father who never showed his own son he could play the piano, meant much more than mere words could express.

He nodded as if he also missed his mother all along, as if he also saw her everywhere.

Senior smiled and Tony reciprocated. This wasn't a time for mourning the past, and he was sure the woman he so much missed would scoff at them for wasting their time thinking of her in such a beautiful place. She would have shaken both of them to get out of this trance and demanded that the party began at last.

They delayed happiness too long already.

Tony whistled, the sound echoing across the patio and over the rows of tables. His finger snapped right before pointing to the stage, where the members of the band promptly grabbed their instruments and smiled broadly back at him. The groom chuckled, unable to contain the burst of feeling that already danced inside his chest.

He hadn't felt this happy in a long, long time.

"And 1, and 2, and 1, 2, 3, 4."

The song blasted from the stage, the singer's voice strong and clear. The lights start flashing, neon hues and disco ball shadows reflecting all around. A collective wave of adrenaline washed across the patio, and as the band yelled the lyrics and the loud notes echoed under the pergola, a roar of claps and exclamations got people on their feet and ready to move. The groom was standing in the middle of the dancefloor - arms opened wide and smile directed towards the sky - as he did the loudest howl ever. The ocean responded increasing its rhythm, and now even the stars were flashing their light with vigor. The bride laughed out loud, promptly taking off her high heels and changing for lower sandals to ease her dancing. A feeling of joy intoxicated everyone, and even the children came running to join the party as well.

Kasie Hines stood up in a second, screaming towards the sky and already shaking her shoulders towards the neon dance floor. The team laughed with that, but soon stood up as well to follow her.

Ziva ran towards an old physician, her laughter carefree and blissful as she held his hand and guided him to the dancefloor. Ducky stopped midsentence at the conversation he was having with a group of old ladies, turning to her confused. As he noticed who it was, however, a big smile opened in his face, and he left his tweed cap on top of one of the tables to follow her.

Soon they were in the dancefloor, dancing as if they only knew happiness all their lives, Ziva shaking her shoulders and Ducky twirling her around.

Tony walked towards the team table, moving his shoulders and head in rhythm as he got closer and closer, a starlit smile displayed for everyone.

With one swift move, he pulled his former boss by his tie, managing to take the piece of clothing off entirely, which he soon put around his head. He pushed the man towards the dancefloor, a dark gray tie now hanging around Tony's forehead. Gibbs laughed at him and tried to escape his grip, but soon was twirling Ziva around as well and learning dancing steps with Ducky.

Kasie downed her glass of champagne in one go, only to grab Nick and Ellie by the wrists and wank them towards the dancefloor. They laughed and soon was following her, dancing in rhythm with the beat of the song as Kasie moved around herself with eyes closed, singing the lyrics at the top of her lungs.

Tali pulled Johnny and Morgan from where they were hidden under a table, the sleep and tiredness gone with a blink as if not even part of her system anymore. Breena put Victoria on the ground, only for her to run towards her cousins, a bright smile on her face as they met on the dancefloor to dance and jump together. Abby pushed Delilah's chair to the neon tiles, and one moment later, they were already laughing and moving their shoulders along with Jack and Breena under the moonlit sky.

"No, no, no," said Vance, "I have a reputation to uphold."

Tony and McGee were pulling him from each arm, shaking their heads as they tried to win Vance's strength in sitting down. Palmer rolled up his sleeves and pushed the director with his own back, forcing him to go towards the dancefloor. Laughter echoed all around and a roar of cheers and claps sounded when Senior welcomed the man at the middle of a circle, squeezing his shoulder and chuckling with joy. Vance looked around and saw only joy, stamped clear in everyone's faces, and for once in his life of director, he shrugged and let himself go.

Soon all the chairs were vacant and the tables deserted. Soon feet jumped together with the beat of the guitar and hands were up in the air, fists closed towards the night sky. The ground trembled - the neon tiles holding their adrenaline but shaking all the same - while the song blasted from the speakers. Children were put up in shoulders and laughter echoed towards the night while hips shook and shoulders moved in sync. The stars made their smiles shine with excitement, and not a single person was caring about being seen, just caring about truly enjoying their time and letting themselves go.

The band continued to play and people continued to dance, either moving their shoulders in rhythm or keeping their feet off the ground, hips shaking and laughter fusing with song.

There was only happiness, and nothing else.

Even the stars were dancing, their light speckles of dust falling from the sky.

Ziva felt his smile caress her cheek the same time his hands gripped her hips from behind. She kept on dancing, body close to him as her hand traveled up his short hair while little kisses were placed on the side of her face. Her heart was racing, and the way Tony's laughter was louder than the song on her ear made her insides warm. She turned around to meet him, though his hands continued on her waist.

"Marry me," said Tony, her hands cupping his face as she let her forehead rest on his. The tie he was wearing now had fallen to hang around his neck, and even with his once combed hair now a mess, Ziva had never seen him more handsome.

" _Yes._ "

Tony swept her off her feet, and while guests howled and cheered, he twirled her around, making her dizzy. Her hand covered her mouth as loud laughter escaped, the other one gripping his shoulder tight as she tried not to fall.

Once they stopped turning, Ziva met his eyes and nothing but pure joy shone in them, his boyish smile making him look younger. She cupped his face again, with laughter in her eyes that matched his own.

Their lips met and eyes closed, and even the band cheered at the sight. People whistled and howled, a hurricane of cheers echoing around them as their kiss broke from time to time to let laughter escape. Soon Ziva decided to just let her forehead rest on his, while her husband twirled her around, arms still hugging her by the legs and letting her bare feet dangling.

There was only laughter.

And moonlight and cheers and joy.

And nothing else.

°°°

It was relatively late in the night for the air to feel a bit chilly, but [without any vacant space on the dancefloor](https://66.media.tumblr.com/c87caa6cbeb9f2e616fc1081a0b124a4/bbb35e1b60c0f8a1-04/s640x960/38dfdfc97ddfc2526e20fed9cf003d1d86d79ffc.jpg), the warmth from the patio hugged from every angle and the constant movement didn't leave any space to feel the cold breeze. Tony opened a few of the buttons of his shirt and soon Ziva rebuttoned it, the groom cocking his head to the side while she patted his cheeks as a wife would do.

"A CIRCLE," said Nick, gesturing his hands on the air and demanding people to open up space. They obliged, laughing, and soon there was a small patch of floor not occupied by anyone.

He pulled the groom to the middle of it, just as the band started a new song, a broad smile on his lips as he challenged the other man to dance. Tony responded with a feral grin, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt and stretching his arms to meet up the challenge. Nick puffed up his chest and clapped his hands together, starting a rhythm for people to follow with the beat of the song. Soon there was only clapping, echoing all around the patio and down the gardens to the sea beyond.

The guitar increased its rhythm and the groom raised his chin, crossing his arms as he straightened his posture towards his "opponent". Nick smiled widely, still asking for claps and whistles from the audience as he turned around himself. He winked at a blonde amongst them, only to finally turn himself back towards Tony and start dancing.

His swift feet tapped the ground in rhythm with the claps, only to be followed with shoulders shimmering and fingers snapping with the beat. Nick bent his body towards the neon tiles, only to fall with a swift move to the ground and start some sort of break dancing, to everyone's amusement. People stopped clapping to start roaring in encouragement, and Tony had to put his hands on his hips to watch the scene, shaking his head. Nick continued to turn on the ground with talent, hands shifting place as his whole body turned over itself. A burst of laughter escaped Tony's lips as he pointed to his friend on the ground and commented something with Jimmy, who only shrugged in return.

One moment Nick was lying on the floor, the other he was jumping up to stand, laughter dancing in his eyes as he tipped his head with a roar of applause, taking a step back to let the groom do his moves.

Tony chuckled. Both of them knew Torres had won the round, but this was still a party after all, and nothing would make him back away now.

The groom walked towards the middle of the circle, shoulders hanging low and his head facing his feet, trying to hide his smile. A wave of claps sounded again, people cheering with the beat of the guitar and impregnating the air with a rare explosive energy. He chuckled to himself - only his shoulders betraying him - and when his chin tilted upwards again, there was only a wolfish grin on his lips, his eyes glinting under the moonlight.

He rolled up his sleeves again, more part of an act than anything, and soon his feet were jumping and making the neon tiles tremble with his movements. Tony's hands shot from side to side with the lyrics, and the laughter that escaped him showed everyone how much fun he was having in the middle of the guests. He changed his dance moves too quickly, going from jumps to air guitars to shaking his shoulders, but it was all who he was, the energy exploding from him.

His friends roared with cheers, and Tony backed away from where he was in the middle of the small circle to demand more space, his arms swaying at his sides.

He inhaled deeply and Ziva almost had an heart attack, but soon he was tipping his head in reverence after a successful front flip in the air.

A wave of cheers echoed all around, and even the band was laughing at the sight.

Ziva huffed out a breath and decided to show them what dancing was about. She walked proudly to the middle of the circle, to which Tony laughed from where he was watching and the boys patted his back with a wave of whistles towards the bride. Ziva carefully gripped her dress's skirt and lifted up the ground to a point where her ankles were visible. She discarded her sandals and did what she used to do as a child - dance barefoot on the earth to feel it responding back to you.

She laughed out loud and soon was turning around herself as her swift feet thumped on the ground, in sync with the guitar notes coming from the stage.

Tony kneeled at her side and started clapping, to which she only twirled again and again, shaking her hips and laughing towards the sky, her curls bouncing around her broad smile with the movement.

Ziva halted when the song changed its melody, only to pull two women towards the middle of the circle. Tony stood up, laughing, letting them have their moment.

Jack, Ellie and Ziva were soon dancing together with arms linked and smiles wide, bare feet kicking in sync and hips swaying from side to side. Their beaming smiles were glowing under the starlight, and the three different colored dresses - white, silver and gold - complimented each other so well, the three of them became mesmerizing.

The song changed and the bride grabbed her sandals from the ground, walking to the edge of the circle only to pull a man towards its middle. He didn't want to go, but with some help from his team and everyone around him, Ziva managed to push Gibbs towards the dancefloor, making him laugh until there was only him and Sloane.

He chuckled but said nothing, taking her hand and spinning her around, to which the team roared in cheers as if this was one of the most important moments of the night. The agent moved in some kind of awkward and too slow dance for the song's beat, but the guests cheered so loud it didn't matter.

Soon he was out, taking the smiling psychologist with him, hands locked and grins matching.

Jimmy pulled Abby and Breena by the hand, spinning them around themselves as they chuckled with joy. Kasie slowly made her way from the other side of the circle with eyes closed and snapping her fingers with the beat. People started howling to them, Kasie inventing moves as she went along, and soon she took out the dance floor, Tali and Victoria following her lead.

Once they saw the girls in the middle of the circle, Morgan and Johnny pushed their mother's chair towards it, and the team made way for McGee's family to step up.

Delilah twirled around in her chair and McGee did the robot move, to which the guests only laughed while the kids span around with hands locked.

The energy was intoxicating, with the neon hues dancing on their faces and starlight guided their feet. If one looked close enough, even the tide down below had increased its speed, in rhythm with the loud cheers and howls for the moon.

Ziva took Abby by the hand and whispered something in her ear, to which the goth only smiled broadly and nodded enthusiastically.

Soon she was out, crossing the dancefloor to take Ducky by the hand, the doctor chuckling as he tried to keep up with her rhythm.

They twirled and twirled until Ducky was dizzy, and Abby helped him return to his spot with an apologetically smile.

No second was wasted and Jimmy and Kasie were already pulling Gibbs to the middle of the gang again to much his dismay. Though to his credit, the boss did let his shoulders shake while Palmer and Kasie did crazy movements next to him, from jazz hands to feet kicking to hip slidings.

Once Gibbs couldn't take it anymore and exited the circle laughing, a new person arrived, and people were roaring once again, clapping and whistling.

Senior used all his charm to snap his fingers in rhythm with the beat, while Ziva called all the women on the dancefloor to follow him.

Soon all the girls were at his side, snapping their fingers as well and swaying their hips with the beat with hands raised towards the moon and smiles directed only to each other. Senior chuckled and winked to his audience, pulling Ziva close to kiss her head.

The men around them stood watching the scene, their arms crossed and chests inflated - to keep any drop of pomposity still visible - but no one could refuse to laugh while the women made their best to entertain Senior. Some guys shook Tony's shoulders and pointed to his father getting all the fun, including some cousins from Ziva and people speaking in other tongues he couldn't understand on his ear.

The groom did nothing, however, watching his wife with an eyebrow raised as a feral grin started to form in his lips. When their eyes met, Ziva chuckled, for she knew she had won this round.

But she also knew he was planning something.

As the guitar continued to blast from the stage, Tony slowly made his way towards the group of women, which received a wave of cheers and claps from his male friends.

Ziva watched him intensively as he made his way towards her, the air between them ecstatic and sizzling with intensity. His steps were slow but certain, and his eyes were locked on hers as if a hunter to its prey.

She raised her chin, challenging him to come any closer, and the people parted to give him space towards her.

Tony cocked his head and she chuckled, not daring to move an inch as he smiled towards her in typical DiNozzo style.

The bark of laughter that echoed into the night, however, didn't come from him, but Ziva already had tears in her eyes in a second once he gave them no warning and pulled her Aunt Nettie to the middle of the dancefloor, her glass of wine almost shattering at the ground with it.

The woman was still swallowing the drink when Tony was already jumping with her around the circle, one hand holding her by the waist and another guiding her own. His feet were swift and jumped all around with the energy of a firework, and people already had tears in their eyes even before Aunt Nettie came to her senses and started complaining.

"Stop at once," she said, her eyes dangerous. She somewhat reminded him of Ziva, that fiery glint in those dark brown eyes.

Tony only chuckled, carrying her across the floor and spinning her around, making the woman even dizzier than the wine before.

"Have some fun," he said.

She huffed at him, but didn't stop dancing, and with the cheers and loud whistles from everyone, her contorted face opened up a small smile.

"Your voice sounds familiar," Aunt Nettie said between breaths, "weren't you the one that answered my call to Ziva, pretending to be her husband?"

Tony chuckled at that, remembering that day at the bullpen. She'd ask what would be a good way to make someone know she didn't want to talk with them anymore, and he practically ditched her own aunt for Ziva.

"Well, I'm her husband _now_ ," he smiled.

"So it _was_ you, wasn't it?" she replied. Then a storm of words in Hebrew started coming from her mouth and they stopped dancing while Tony laughed between slaps on his head.

Ziva's cousins darted in to stop the fight, apologizing to the groom, though he was already backing away, saying it had all been his fault.

The one laughing most was the bride, tears in her eyes as she squatted down to the ground to try holding her hysteria, though it appeared Tony had not yet finished his performance, and the act following that made her almost fall to the floor with laughter.

Him and McGee had united forces and pulled the director to the middle of the circle, while the team clapped and cheered louder than ever. She did the same, straightening up again to joy them, whistling and singing the song lyrics with everything she had. Vance followed his agents' steps and soon they were kicking their feet in sync, as if in a cancan group, arms linked and smiles displayed, as people yelled 'OPAH' and cheered with the same intensity in return.

The band still blasted the song and howls of joy echoed to the sky, hands in the air and feet making the neon tiles tremble.

Ziva pulled the skirt of her dress up again and shook her hips and shoulders in rhythm at the middle of the dance floor, a broad smile displayed as she motioned the girls to follow her. Soon every woman on the patio was clapping with the beat, shoulders shaking and feet swiftly moving, energy exploding all around.

Tony whistled and with a hand motioned for the boys to follow him, and soon a wall of men responded to the group of women on the other side of the circle. They clapped and shook their bodies with the song, letting themselves go with the rhythm, and in a second there was no patch of the dancefloor vacant, not a tile and not a concerned face.

In a second, people were mixing together, families and friends now dancing as one.

Nick pulled Ellie to the side and span her around herself until her laughter was the only thing she could feel, bursting from inside like fireworks. He dipped her, feet swiftly guiding them together and closer to each other, a broad smile dancing in his lips. As people jumped and danced around them, he took his chance and cupped her face, stealing a kiss that made the world stop.

Only the stars noticed, and soon they were dancing again, smiles permanent and bodies closer now.

All the children got together, jumping and shaking their hands in the air as the adults clapped and clapped, some squatting down to their level and others stealing them for a moment only to [send them flying upwards](https://66.media.tumblr.com/45f3b79c63d62c41d0b240816bd27a7b/bbb35e1b60c0f8a1-fd/s1280x1920/91bda1129fb048f2e9cb95850eae871d12db429e.jpg), sweet laughter echoing towards the night sky like ripples of water before being put on the ground again.

And as the light flashed and energy exploded, someone managed to pop a party popper and now gold and silver confetti rained from the sky, as if the stars themselves joining the dance.

Tali caught Tony's hand and darted without warning, and while other children tried to catch the falling stars, she had one objective and wouldn't back down until she got where she wanted.

They found Ziva laughing to herself, hands raised towards the sky and dress glowing under the moonlight.

Tali caught her hand as well and soon the three of them were dancing together again, shoulders shaking over each other and twirling around over and over. Tony kissed her when their daughter was too busy jumping and Ziva laughed, throwing herself in his arms as happiness exploded around them.

Confetti fell from the sky and neon tiles trembled the earth, waves of happiness intoxicating everyone and keeping them from standing still.

The moon shone high and the band kept on playing, songs changing but the vibrant energy remaining, glasses being passed around and smiles and kisses exchanged with fervor. There was only light, and in that night, the whole island was in party; families, friends, guests, children, waves and stars all cheering the blissful joy of the newly-wed, now together at last.

What a privilege it was to love then, for there was nothing that could compare to that moment.

Love exploded, and stars cheered.

_They were together at last._

°°°

After some time, the older guests made their way back to the tables, but the team still owned the dancefloor, moving together and dancing with each other, energy never-ending. It was as if all of them were enjoying the vacation to its fullest, knowing it was difficult for a moment like that to rise again. The disco ball still turned, casting shadows all around, the neon tiles now covered in silver and gold confetti.

As the song started, Ellie Bishop yelled in joy, covering her mouth right after, but it was to late to mask her excitement. The singer nodded, chuckling to her as Spanish rolled out his tongue and blasted through the speakers.

Everyone's shoulders started shaking in rhythm, but Ellie made sure to call a line to teach the right dance moves. Kasie arranged one in the middle of the dance floor, pulling Nick, Jimmy and Abby to join. The children were still jumping, excited that the party allowed them to stay way over their bedtime for once. Bishop pulled the bride from where she was standing near one of the tables and apologized for the interruption of the conversation she was having in Hebrew with one of her aunts, making sure to state she couldn't miss this song.

Kasie was already moving her hips in front of the line of people, the others trying to follow her moves. Both her hands were held in front of her, only to be placed at the back of her head and then at her hips right after, shoulders shaking and body moving with the beat. She jumped in place, changing her direction, but only Nick was able to follow her at ease. He walked beside her once Ellie and Ziva joined the line, the women doing the movements by heart, and bumped his hip to Kasie's. She shushed him, but continued to smile, trying to teach Palmer how to do the dancing right.

Ont he other side of the dancefloor, Tony was trying to convince Leon Vance to do the limbo dance, squeezing his shoulder while McGee and Senior held each side of a wooden stick in front of them. After much thought and arguing, the director nodded defeated but asked the groom to do it with him. In no time, they were bending their backs under the stick, shoulders shimmering and laughter echoing once they got to the other side.

Meanwhile, the children had made a circle around a man sitting with crossed legs in one corner of the dancefloor, dancing around him with locked hands and jumping steps. Jack laughed loudly watching Gibbs smile inside the circle, while children giggled until they all fell on top of him, tickling his sides.

"Who would have thought, uh, Doctor?" said Jimmy out of breath, downing a glass of water to calm his burning throat. "So much love coming from that navy yard, when it all was forbidden not so long ago."

Ducky was watching the team from afar, a small smirk on his lips as old eyes glinted under the moonlight. Tony had somehow bumped into Ziva and stole her from where she was teaching the dance moves to Abby and Tali, a hand on her waist and lips quickly finding hers. The doctor [watched them laugh](https://66.media.tumblr.com/d341e740423f0e3f6786ff6674f328d3/bbb35e1b60c0f8a1-a1/s540x810/1e5f7f29c19ae2eac90ba0c9605c6a0e27cb7f55.jpg), bright eyes looking at each other as song exploded around them, spreading joy to the whole patio. He saw them kiss and laugh, the groom sweeping the bride off her feet only to spin her around, giggles filling the air.

Ducky inhaled deeply, listening to the muffled sound of the strong waves down at the bay, hidden behind loud laughter and chatting, along with blasting song and feet stomping on the dance floor. He closed his eyes briefly, inhaling the ocean scent and feeling the starlight kiss his skin, so much joy around him making everything bright. He felt the love pouring from everyone and the peace that reigned at the patio, just as the song ended, claps sounded and people cheered.

Once he opened his eyes again, the smile in his lips had widened and when he looked at Palmer, the younger man saw a new glint of wisdom in his eyes.

"Oh dear boy, it's simple," Ducky said. "When you declare the heavens you'll never fall in love," he smiled, "Aphrodite herself takes it as a challenge."


	12. The farewell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _"The best thing to hold onto in life is each other."_  
>  \- Audrey Hepburn

They danced until their feet started to hurt, but they smiled for way longer than that.

The roaring sound of the waves crashing down below was amplified by the night turning colder, by loud music slowly giving way to softer songs and laughter subsiding into silent satisfied smiles. The moon was already descending, the dark blue tone of the sky turning to black just as flashing stars also said goodbye for the night. There was a lightness in the air that was almost palpable, a sense of belonging and success that made their smiles last longer than expected. As the night prepared to say farewell, the taste of bittersweetness started to sting their tongues.

The air smelled of saltwater.

And salt always smells like memories.

 _It was time to leave._

For the thousandth time that day, Ziva smiled. She had never seen Tony so happy, laughing with Jimmy, drinking with Nick, bickering with McGee. _She_ had never felt this type of energy either, a wave of joy and peace cleansing her from the inside and giving her a chance of starting over.

Of a new beginning.

The hours had passed quickly; and Ziva had danced with every member of the team, along with her cousins, and her aunts and the children. Tony had stolen her from time to time, sometimes doing crazy dance moves at which she just laughed and sometimes not paying attention to the music at all, only kissing her until she couldn’t feel the cold breeze anymore.

Until the very last second of partying, Tony had come up with great song after great song, shouting their titles to the band as the guests themselves started to chant the lyrics from the top of their lungs and dance until the floor started to tremble. Ziva wondered how long he’d been thinking about this, how long he’d planned for this night, for there were still people up and dancing to every song; even if the children were now fast asleep on various chairs and laps, their faces contorted into soft satisfied smiles.

After glasses had emptied and feet were now hurting (the moon already rushing the night to an end), Tony jumped onto the stage one last time, his smile wide and vibrant. Ziva had no idea how he managed to maintain that type of energy, but as soon as their eyes locked over the patio, the pride in his smile made her certain of at least one thing.

This had been one of the best days of their _lives_.

“I can already hear the faint sound of snoring coming from one of the tables, which I won’t point out ‘cause I’m a gentleman... But it’s as clear a statement as any that our night here is coming to an end. Ladies and gentlefolk,” Tony said into the microphone, a smile dancing on his lips, “I hope you had fun tonight.”

A series of cheers and claps echoed all around, and a few children raised their heads in his direction to see what the sudden commotion was about.

Perhaps even they knew that dreams, too, have endings.

This one was no exception.

_It was time to leave._

"I had the time of my life tonight, if you know what I mean," continued Tony cheerfully, and the guests laughed at the mention of his earlier show. Ziva shook her head, still amazed. 

"And I hope you did, too. This day wouldn't be the same without you, and we couldn't be happier that we found a good enough excuse to bring everyone together— old friends and new, co-workers, their children, different families... even the people I don't really like but who Ziva convinced me that—" a wave of howls muffled his voice, but Tony only laughed, his eyes shining. "No, it wasn't you, Aunt Nettie, but if you want, I can give you both guest lists for you to compare, mine and the one Ziva made. Though, to be frank, I don't know if that's a good idea. It would only start more trouble and, you see, I'm not really a troublemaker."

Something in his wolfish smile told them otherwise, and everyone knew the truth.

"But as someone very important whose name I don’t recall once said, all good things must come to an end, and this is no exception. I, too, wish this night could only go on forever, but even from here I can see the drool dripping from the corner of McGee's mouth... so I think it's a good time to wrap this up." Tony ignored the reply from his friend, who, giving up, only ended up joining in the laughter that reigned across the patio as well. 

"Again, thank you. All of you are very important to us, and you only made this gorgeous place beautiful. Someone told me it was 'Paradise', and I was skeptical at first, but now... now I don't know. I think you were the ones that _made_ it Paradise, and I think it's a day that I'll revisit for years to come.

"Okay, enough sappy talk, let's give a round of applause to the fire of the house, Carlos and his band." Tony gestured to the stage while a hurricane of cheers resonated and the band members bowed, laughing as well. 

"Next: to Odette, who made sure I had my vows in hand and didn't disappoint anyone by not coming down the aisle on time," he added, and the woman in question waved at him from one of the tables, to which people only clapped and smiled in return. 

"And finally, to the true star of the night... You know who you are and I don't think I’ve said this enough in my life, so just so everyone knows—I love you, sweet cheeks. You're stuck with me now."

Ziva shook her head, a smile dancing on her lips. She doubted that she would ever get tired of life with him at her side, or that she would ever get tired of hearing those words. Tony smiled as if he knew exactly what she was thinking. 

"So, I believe this is where I bid you all farew—"

" _Wait!_ "

Tony’s voice died in his throat, and he looked confusedly at Ziva running towards the stage. He helped her up nonetheless, making sure the train of her dress was at her side. Ziva’s eyes softened at him stooping to make sure the train was correctly placed, but she waited until he was beside her again to hit his arm.

" _Ouch_ , what was _that_ for?!"

"You were going to wrap this up."

"Isn't it my _job_ to wrap this up?!" Tony looked at her wide-eyed, fighting the urge to smile. "You told me it was what I was supposed to do, woman."

"Well, yes, but you were going to end this _now_."

"McGee's been drooling on Delilah's shoulder for more than half an hour, what did you want me to do?"

"Hey, stop talking about _me_!" yelled McGee towards the stage, where the bride and the groom stood facing each other with hands on their hips and eyes locked. "I don't drool," he muttered, embarrassed. 

"You do," Tony and Ziva said in unison, heads turning to him in sync.

McGee only huffed out a breath, taken aback by their wit, but he was soon chuckling, his laughter loud in the night. Almost as if he still couldn't believe they were together again.

Tony was still looking at McGee when Ziva hit his arm again, drawing his attention back to her.

"Stop hitting at me, you _crazy woman_. I don't know if anyone has told you this before, but you actually punch pretty hard."

Ziva leaned in to whisper something into his ear while Tony still rubbed the spot on his arm that she’d hit twice. Soon enough, his frown disappeared, his eyes brightening and lips twitching to give space to a big grin. He nodded when she was finished, and his features softened as he looked at her smiling next to him. 

"Oh, God, they look so in love," said Kasie with a hint of amusement.

"They really do," replied Abby dreamily, batting her eyelashes. 

Kasie only chuckled in return. 

Perhaps they deserved to look like that, after all.

"Okay, then, all women," said Tony with a raise of his chin at Ziva, waiting for her approval. She nodded, a proud smirk appearing in the corners of her lips. "Please gather yourselves on this pretty neon floor—I believe there are some flowers waiting to be thrown up in the air. I'm very sorry, fellows, I know just how you feel, but—"

The burning sensation started to grow in his arm when she punched him one more time.

Tony turned slowly in the direction of where Ziva stood at his side. Both of his eyebrows lifted up, and he blinked a few times. "I swear to God, Dah-veed, if you hit me one more time—"

"What?" she replied, raising an eyebrow as well. Her eyes sparkled. "You will do what?"

He swallowed dryly, withering under her stare. "Shoot, I'm married to you now, huh?" Tony asked, licking his lips. "That changes things, doesn't it?"

Ziva studied the way he stared at her, focused and intense. "No." She pursed her lips. "Not really."

Ziva kissed the corner of his mouth that was already tilting upwards right before stealing the microphone to speak. 

"All _unmarried_ women," she corrected with a chuckle at the commotion starting on the tables. "And yes, Tali dear, you can join. Catching the bouquet will not make you married, I assure you."

Laughter echoed all around, and Tali jumped from her seat, running towards the group of women already gathering on the dancefloor. Tony helped Ziva down from the stage and she grabbed her wedding bouquet, which Odette had stored in a secure place until now. The jasmine and baby’s breath were still fresh, as were the white roses and the olive leaves that still let out their characteristic aroma. A good number of younger cousins and older aunts had already assembled on the other side of the dancefloor, Ellie and Jack joining the crowd, while the disco ball cast fluorescent shadows on their excited smiles.

Some of the women jokingly pushed the others to the front, though Aunt Nettie held her head high proudly in the middle of them—but they were all smiles and laughter when the men grunted loudly and made their way towards the bar. Ziva called the remaining shy women that still stood around the tables to join the group, even pulling Odette by the hand to make sure she didn't miss the moment. Tony stood on the stage, telling jokes and making her aunts sneer at him, but nothing could stop him from teasing them at this hour.

Ziva finally motioned for him to start the countdown and turned her back to the group, a move which in and of itself called for a wave of cheers and whistles.

"Let's see who's getting the golden ticket to another party like this, uh?" said Tony on the microphone, his tone clearly mixed with laughter.

"One—" Ziva swung the flowers over her head and the women started to chant loudly along with the groom. 

"Two—" she looked over her shoulder to catch Tony wearing a wide grin up on the stage and to see all her family on the dancefloor, waiting for the outcome. Ziva winked, her laughter mixing in with theirs.

"Three—"

Ziva faked the first throw, turning back to the group to see who had fallen for it. Aunt Nettie retorted some awful words in Hebrew that she was glad half the guests couldn't understand, and she demanded that Ziva move on with it. Abby had covered the ears of Tali, who looked at Ziva with bright eyes, waiting for her to throw the bouquet.

"Aunt Nettie, please don't throw your glass at me! It’s _glass_!" said Tony, exasperated, while some of her friends took the remaining wine off her hands. He was laughing so hard that Ziva could see his eyes turning red, and he had to take a deep breath before continuing. 

"Okay, okay. Ziva, if you want me to live, don't let her down. Are you ready?" he asked, and the women yelled out a hurricane of cheers. "One—two—three—"

Ziva looked over her shoulder to see who had caught it, but amidst the laughter and the cheers, she could only see a hand holding the bouquet up in the air—the women slowly parted to see who had won. Once Ziva recognized the face, a bark of laughter escaped her lips; and up on stage, Tony did the same.

"Oh, _c'mon_ ," he said into the microphone, throwing his hands up, "you're not playing fair here, boss."

Gibbs only cast him a silent smile as he took a small pocket knife out of his suit pocket to start cutting the flowers one by one and handing them to each woman in the group. Soon he was surrounded by clamors and cheers, the girls proudly sniffing each sprig of jasmine and some even tucking them behind their ears. Ziva couldn't think of a better conclusion than Tali running towards her, asking for help to get a flower in her hair. Tony kept pointing to the scene and complaining, though his words were muffled by the women leaving the patio laughing. 

"This is all a game," he said, laughing into the microphone. " _He's_ the one person who _wouldn't_ want any of you getting the flowers or whatever, just to be clear. The man has been married more times than anyone I know, he just doesn't want any of you to get involv—"

"DiNozzo?" Gibbs looked calmly at the groom, whose voice died down as soon as he heard his name.

"Yeah?"

The look Gibbs gave him said enough, and it was so distinctively familiar that part of Tony _knew_ he had started this all only to get a similar reaction from his old boss. 

Tony nodded, fighting the urge to smile. "Somehow I can still feel the ghost of the pain—"

Then he really _did_ feel a head slap, only to see Tali on Ziva's arm and both of them laughing hysterically at his side.

"I can't believe you taught her that."

"I did it with love." Ziva let Tali on the ground.

Tony shook his head, his eyes shining with a new intensity when he started to smile once again.

"Besides, you still talk too much, yes?" Ziva added, her matching grin making her look younger somehow.

Tony raised an eyebrow, once again grateful for their familiar banter falling into place. He had missed it—he had missed it for too long. Past and present overlapped in his mind more often than not and for the thousandth time that night, his heart felt swollen. He was immensely glad that he had found her in this lifetime.

"Let's move on to the best part, then," Tony huffed a laugh. "Tali, I believe your grandpa wants to show you something. Guys, help me with a chair, will you?" 

Tony looked at Ziva, waiting for a reaction. 

"It appears that I still have a garter to acquire."

It was the men’s turn to scream with all they had, their howls of laughter echoing into the night as Tony jumped from the stage, fixing his suspenders in place and wearing a dangerous grin on his face. Soon enough, a chair was placed in the middle of the dancefloor, and Tony led his reluctant bride by the hand while an audience of men cheered and whistled from everywhere around them.

“I’m gonna make this real quick, because _we_ ’ve got some business to _attend to_ , if you know what I mean,” Tony said with a wink, and Ziva rolled her eyes as the patio exploded with barks of laughter from every corner. 

“So gather right there, boys, while I have a private moment right here with _my wife_ , okay? I’m sorry, Nick, it’s not my problem if the guys are all married already and you’re there alone... just a difference in life choices. It only means that fate is keeping an eye on you, buddy. Be prepared. Okay, enough talking. Just— just shhh.”

Tony then looked back at Ziva, and the glint in his eyes made her laugh. When he pulled his suspenders down as slowly as he could, part of her knew this was all a show for the audience — the real show would certainly come later on.

So Ziva just let the laughter take over her body while Tony not only kneeled to the ground but also crawled toward where she was sitting, the performer in him truly never disappointed. Once his face had disappeared under the train of her dress, the guys watching howled and cheered, and Ziva looked up to the sky to keep from looking at any of them.

She felt his fingers trailing from her ankles to the backs of her knees, and her smile only grew wider while the hair on the back of her neck pricked up. Tony had learned every sweet spot on her body over the years, and when he kissed the inside of her thigh, she knew _exactly_ why.

It was where her hidden tattoo was placed. 

Once her husband reappeared with a white lace garter hanging from his mouth, Ziva couldn’t help but shake her head, amazed. He always managed to send secret messages for her, ones that only _she_ could understand.

Tony winked, a fist pump of victory rising up in the air.

 _I know you_ , he seemed to say. 

_No chance of running away now._

On the other side of the dance floor, the men pushed each other eagerly at one another while Tony tried to organize the group with a white lace garter still hanging from his mouth. The sight of her cousins and friends laughing and fighting to claim a good spot for the toss made Ziva smile, knowing she had chosen the right families when the people started to merge into one group. 

Soon enough, Tony whistled to get their attention, and the patio exploded into cheers as the piece of cloth was thrown to the other side—where it landed in the hands of a person who would _certainly_ use the situation as a great source of future jokes.

Nick went running across the dancefloor, swinging the white garter over his head while the other boys howled, yelling and cheering, some patting his back as he ran by and some already trying to convince him to put it on a certain blonde who was now as red as a pepper at one of the tables.

Nick’s face was alight with joy, and he hugged the groom with a wide grin, patting his back like an old friend. Nick bowed his head to Ziva and smiled at her as well, only pausing for a second before darting to his own table, showing off the garter to the team as if it was a new trophy he had just acquired.

When he got to Ellie, not a word was exchanged between them, but even the shadows knew what their smiles meant. Nick put the garter inside his pocket and cupped his partner’s cheeks, the whole patio exploding into cheers one more time when he kissed her with no warning or restraint. 

The moment didn’t last long, but Ziva’s heart warmed with the sight. There was something truly refreshing about seeing the two current agents in a similar situation to the one she was in a lifetime ago—but those two had come to make different decisions than hers for a better future. 

There was something irrefutably right in choosing to love without restraints.

Perhaps Nick wasn’t that much of a wuss, after all. 

Ziva glanced up to catch Tony’s eye when she felt him press a lingering kiss to her knuckles. He pulled her up and took her by the hand, his eyes not leaving hers as he gently guided them to the middle of the dancefloor. Ziva noticed the band was already gathering their instruments to leave, just as the guests made their way down the hill toward the lodges a level below, their shadows disappearing from view.

The patio quieted down as quickly as it had fired up, conversations fading to low whispers and silent smiles as people retreated, carrying dazed, sleepy children with them. The air was chilly, a tint of nostalgia already achingly palpable as the atmosphere turned colder and the patio emptied; as the sky turned darker, memories started falling into place.

_It was time to leave._

When she looked back at Tony, Ziva realized they were dancing in place, his hand steady on her lower back and his thumb caressing her skin over the dress fabric. She had never seen his eyes so soft, and as he kissed her temple, Ziva let her own eyes close and tucked her head under his chin.

“Oh, Ziva,” Tony sighed. “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

There was a slight sting of sadness in his words, one that would never quite leave them—it was the result of choices made and consequences suffered. 

“We did it,” she replied, pulled him closer, “and that is enough.”

As the guests departed and the moon said goodbye, they continued to dance without any music, only the stars keeping them company. Neither of them wanted the night to end, stretching the minutes as best as they could to make all the lost time count. They held each other close, their hearts bearing the same ache.

Only when the candles had gone out and their fingers had turned numb from the cold did they slow to a stop, the sound of the waves down below sealing the moment into memory. Kisses as soft as the dying light were exchanged, now no longer guarded as secrets but still carrying the same reassurance. 

That their love was real and rare, that even though the past had been as harsh as they could bear, reality had been kind to them at last.

And as they descended the stone steps to leave the place, hand in hand, something new and foreign started to grow inside.

_It was time to leave._

_It was also time to start living._

* * *

Ziva brushed a hair out of her face, her thumb caressing Tali’s cheek as softly as she could without waking her up. She looked so peaceful with her hair scattered over the pillows like that, hugging Kelev tightly and still wearing the flower girl dress from the party. Ziva had taken off Tali’s shoes and put a cover over her, trying her best to give some comfort to her rest. Tali snored softly and Ziva smiled, watching how relaxed she looked after having jumped around so much at the reception. She must have used up all of her energy, and that girl had a _lot_ of it to use.

“I still think it’s best if we wake her up,” said Tony, reading her mind when he sat on the other side of the mattress. He was looking at Tali, not Ziva, as if also watching how calmly she slept.

Ziva nodded slowly. “You’re right. She will be cranky the whole day tomorrow if we don't.”

Tony glanced toward her at that. He smiled, and something in his eyes made Ziva’s heart flutter. It was nice to have him by her side, sharing in all decisions from now on. It was strange, but it felt good all the same. There was a hint of familiarity in it, as if it was something she had always hoped for. 

“Tali-tee,” Tony whispered as he kissed Tali’s forehead. “Tals, wake up for a bit. We need to tell you something.”

Ziva watched the scene with her breath caught in her throat. Somehow, she still couldn’t get used to him being so fatherly, the gentleness coming so naturally to him. Yes, she had imagined it would be like that all along—he had one of the biggest hearts she knew—but it was wonderful all the same. Now there was someone else who got to see this side of Tony, vulnerable and true, and it always took her by surprise.

How much of a good man he really was.

Tali opened her heavy eyes slowly, and Ziva cast her a soft smile once she saw her recognizing their faces. Ziva placed her hand over their daughter’s, her thumb caressing the bracelet they gave her at the ceremony. 

“Tali, dear,” said Ziva softly. “Me and your father came here to say goodbye. _For now_ ,” she added swiftly when she realized Tali’s eyes had widened as she heard that. Ziva looked at Tony, and he nodded, giving her the support she needed.

“We will need to go somewhere for a few days, but we will be back before you even realize it.”

“And in the meantime, Pop-Pop said he would take care of you,” added Tony carefully. “And you can stay here with your friends, building sandcastles and exploring the island for as long as you’d like.”

Tali looked at them with clear fear in her eyes, trying to understand the situation. “Where are you going?” she asked, her voice quiet as she tried to blink away the sleep.

Ziva looked at Tony at that, unable to hide her amusement. She had no idea where they were going, which had been his plan all along. 

That also meant the burden of answering Tali’s question would also be his, and he knew it. 

Tony let out a huff through his nose as he tried to come up with a good answer that would satisfy them both without saying too much. God, how did he get himself stuck in the middle of two smart ladies like this?

“We’ll be going to do adult stuff. Very boring stuff, you’d probably hate it.”

“Hate it?” asked Tali, her eyes assessing his answer.

“Yeah. Even _I_ hate it, and I’m a man that can put up with many things, as you already know. It is so _boring_ ,” he yawned, and Tali giggled. “It is so boring that I’m already tired. Maybe your mother can let me stay here with you?”

Tony turned to Ziva, his eyes twinkling. Of course he’d find a way to pass the buck to her, and Ziva fought the urge to smile. “I’m afraid I will have to take you with me.”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Tony said. “Are you sure?” The smile still danced in his eyes, and Ziva knew he was fighting the need to laugh—his lips twitching like that gave it away—while Tali watched it all very attentively from where she lay in the bed.

“It is so boring, I think I will need some help so I can come back even quicker,” Ziva decided.

“Yeah, I figured. And you’ll need help choosing that present to give to Tali—oh, _shoot_!” He covered his mouth and Tali started to giggle at his mistake. “Forget I told you that. It was a secret, don’t let mommy know you know. She wouldn’t like it. Shhh.”

His finger covered his lips and Tali giggled as her eyes darted between them, sadness already forgotten. Ziva couldn’t help but smile as well, shaking her head. Tony always thought he didn’t have a way with children, but every day he proved himself wrong in another way. 

“And you behave while we are away, yes?” said Ziva, bopping Tali’s nose with an index finger. “Smart girls like you do not funky around.”

“Monkey around.”

“I prefer mine.”

“Nothing new there.” 

Laughter danced in Tony’s eyes, and Ziva wondered if that was his honeymoon glow or if it was just the way he was around her now. She squinted her eyes at him, and he smirked as if he knew exactly what she was thinking... yes, he probably knew.

“One more thing, sweetheart,” she said carefully. “Thank you so much for your necklace—it was something very special to me, and it was very honorable of you to give it to me. We can trade now so you can have the Star back with you again.”

Ziva reached for the back of her neck to take it off, but she was startled when Tali’s eyes widened to a scared look. She started to cry, and Tony pulled her into his lap instantly, rocking her and whispering things into her ear. Ziva blinked uncertainly, trying to piece what had gone wrong, but as soon as Tony’s eyes locked with hers, she understood.

Tali was afraid that Ziva was going to leave her again, just like she did before.

It broke Ziva’s heart, and she tried to find the strength to keep from crying as well as her throat grew tight. Tony’s eyes were still fixed on hers while he watched her thinking, and in his arms, Tali’s cry quieted to softer sobs. Ziva wondered how many times he had done that, and her chest started to hurt so much that she thought she wouldn’t be able to speak.

“Tali. Tali, my love, I am sorry,” she let out quietly, a hand brushing her daughter’s arm. Her heart was in her throat, but she managed to find her voice. “I am so sorry, dear. I can keep the necklace until we return so we can trade it once we’re home, what do you think?” 

Tali looked at her cautiously, still clinging to Tony’s shirt. He kissed her hair and she nodded, her eyes turning clearer. Ziva let out the breath she was holding and put the Star of David back on her own neck again, her heart still racing.

“Go tell your mum how much you love her,” Tony whispered to Tali’s hair, and Ziva tried to fight back the tears.

Tali crawled from his lap into her mother’s arms and Ziva hugged her tightly, kissing her head. 

“I love you, Ima,” she said softly.

“I love you too, darling. Always.”

* * *

“Are you sure you can beat _this_?” 

Ziva pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head, turning to Tony with a smile. The sun was bright and the air was hot, even at this early hour of the morning—it appeared that the island didn’t sleep. 

Under their feet, the wooden planks of the pier creaked slightly as they made their way across it, white sand and blue skies spreading beyond their eyes could reach. The air smelled of ocean and summer, a sweet morning song emerging from the pleasantly blended sounds of the caldera—flocks of albatross and swaying palm trees, along with the calming sound of back and forth waves as they kissed the powdery sand again and again. 

The warm taste of coconut milk with turmeric, black pepper, and honey still lingered on Ziva’s tongue from their quick breakfast, and even after getting almost no sleep, she hadn’t felt this excited in _years_. 

They had changed into lighter clothes, and now the wind tousled her air and the sun kissed her cheeks—and when she looked over to see Tony smiling broadly next to her, she was certain she could define what happiness meant right then and there.

“Ziva David, you may think little of me, but you’d better believe I know a thing or two about paradise-like, honeymoon-worthy retreats.” He raised an eyebrow at her, smug. His sunglasses blocked Ziva’s view of his eyes, but she was certain that they were smiling, too.

She smiled back, shooting him her best playful look. “I’m sure you spent _years_ researching pretty summer vacations with playboyish cocktails and all types of _exotic beauties_ ,” she retorted with air quotes and a raise of her eyebrow.

They continued their way down the boardwalk along the beach, and Tony didn’t let the fact that he was carrying their bags stop him from bending his neck back to let out a loud laugh toward the sky. 

“I may have had other purposes in mind, yes, but that doesn’t erase my knowledge. The ends justify the means.”

“They certainly do not, and I don’t see how that applies to our honeymoon destination.”

Tony set their bags down and turned to his wife, pushing his sunglasses onto his head just as she had and proving to Ziva that his eyes were also gleaming with joy. He couldn’t stop smiling, she noticed, and it made her heart flutter inside her chest. 

“All I’m saying is that you have nothing to worry about.” Tony put his hands on his hips and studied her face with a playful glint in his eye. “For once in your life, let a man woo you. I’m not that barista you used to glare daggers at every time he smiled your way.”

“Oh, that _boy_ ,” Ziva rolled her eyes, but a smile betrayed her annoyance as fake. “Why remind me of things I had already forgotten?”

Tony’s smile widened. “Get used to it,” he gushed, “I made a vow.”

Ziva let out a huffy breath. “He drove me up the hall.”

“Wall.”

“Isn’t it ‘push someone to the wall’?” Ziva asked, frowning.

Without warning, his hands grabbed her hips and pulled her close, the heat she felt coming from his body somehow even warmer than the air around her. He pressed a slow kiss to her right cheek, just below her eye, before leaning in to whisper something in her ear. Ziva could feel the smile in his voice even without seeing him, and that alone made her smile as well. 

“I can push you against the wall whenever you’d like.”

A shiver went down Ziva’s spine, and she was ready to answer with something equally suggestive when another voice spoke loudly next to them— and she realized at once that Tony had apparently not spoken quietly enough. 

“I’m so glad you two live overseas,” said Mcgee dryly.

He was wearing a polo shirt, khaki shorts, and sandals, standing next to them and smirking with his hands in his pockets and sunglasses over his eyes to shade from the sun. McGee looked so far from the naive boy they used to mercilessly tease that Ziva felt a sting of pride in her heart. It was undeniable that time had passed and that they had all changed, but she was glad that in the most important ways, some things stayed the same.

“Don’t lie to yourself, McGee,” said Tony, letting go of Ziva’s waist. “You probably miss us every time you look at those ugly orange walls.”

Tim let out a bark of laughter towards the sun. “I don’t miss throwing up a little in my mouth every time you two ate each other with your eyes right in front of me.”

“Ziva,” said Tony, not looking away from his friend, “that _alone_ is a good reason for us to visit the old place.”

“You should,” said a new voice. 

Jimmy had already put on his swim trunks, and he stood next to the group with a big, deep green boonie hat and a wide smile displayed under two stripes of sunscreen on his cheeks. “Breena is already planning something for Victoria’s birthday,” he continued with a smile. “She wants another party like this, but I think nothing will ever measure up to this one’s energy.”

“Nonsense,” Ziva contradicted, squeezing Jimmy’s arm. “We will definitely come.”

“Seriously, guys. It was amazing,” Jimmy said warmly. “The ceremony, the dancing, everything! Even the bachelor parties—I had never been to one of those, other than my own. It was _so_ fun to see the behind the scenes of it all, especially with Tony and those dancers…”

“ _Dancers_?” asked Ziva sharply, starting to turn to Tony. He grabbed her shoulders and stopped her from fully facing him, though, distracting her with kisses planted repetitively across her face from behind. She could hear the smile in his voice as he hummed innocently, and she turned with narrowed eyes to study Jimmy instead. Much to her amusement, he was opening and closing his mouth like a surprised fish in the nearby ocean.

That was a good enough answer for Ziva.

“Mm, Palmer?” muttered Tony, hugging his wife from behind. He pressed another kiss on top of her head. “Nice touch. _Do_ shut up now, though.”

“I thought it was only _one_ ,” replied Ziva, raising an eyebrow.

“Four eyes, he’s seeing double,” was Tony’s reply.

McGee studied them with a curious glint in his eye. “I still can’t believe you two are actually married, though. It seems like the world has shifted.”

“Didn’t it?” Tony replied with a laugh before hugging Ziva tightly and releasing her with a popping kiss to her temple.

As soon as Tony let go of her, Jimmy pulled them all into a hug; Ziva found herself laughing, stuck in the middle of three very strong, tall men. She tried to break free, but none of them would let her—and so her laughter only echoed and grew even louder.

“I’m so proud of you,” confessed Jimmy, tightening the hug even more. “Look at us—married, parents, and happy! You two are off to your honeymoon!”

“Whenever you want to let us go, Palmer,” was Tony’s muffled reply, but Ziva could hear the smile in his voice.

When they let the hug go, Ziva fixed her hair and squeezed Jimmy’s arm again in warm consideration. “Thank you, Jimmy,” she said with a smile. “I will not forget to call Breena about our visit. And thank you, too, McGee.”

They exchanged hugs one more time before Tony grabbed their bags and walked further toward the docks, the seagulls chanting above their heads. 

“ _Expect video calls_!” shouted Ziva to the sun, and the wind carried back her response to them.

“ _Will do_!” was McGee’s reply from afar.

“DiNozzo!”

They both looked over their shoulders to find Gibbs wearing an old flannel shirt and sandals, nothing at all like the formal attire they were used to seeing their boss in. Next to him was Jacqueline Sloane, a book in her hand and a straw hat on her head. They stood close to each other in a way that Ziva knew meant they were together, displaying the same soft smiles below matching intelligent eyes.

“Which one, boss?” asked Tony with a huge grin, and Ziva huffed out a laugh.

Gibbs let out a rare chuckle. He stepped closer to Tony and hugged him, patting his back. The two exchanged a meaningful look before Gibbs turned to hug Ziva, kissing her temple.

“Don’t make me come looking for you,” Gibbs said to both of them.

Tony laughed, the warm sound echoing across the caldera under the sun. “Understood,” he agreed.

“Will you be staying on the island, Gibbs?” asked Ziva, eyeing Jack, who stood back a few paces, giving them the space they needed to say goodbye.

Gibbs looked at Ziva with a small smirk, a secret hidden at the corners of his eyes. “There’s a place I’ve been wanting to show her,” he said with a jerk of his chin.

“Mexico,” he added with a smile before they could ask.

“Hmm,” replied Tony thoughtfully. “She’s not a redhead.”

Gibbs lifted his chin and his smirk widened. “Good eye,” he said.

Shortly after they also hugged Sloane goodbye, Ziva came to understand that _that_ piece of information meant much more than Gibbs had let on. 

_Yes_ , Ziva thought as she smirked to herself. Jack was definitely _not_ a redhead. 

“Godspeed, David and DiNozzo,” said Vance, approaching the group with his hands in his pockets. He wore a light blue Hawaiian shirt almost the same hue of the sky, and it suited his dark skin. Vance was smiling, and the smile also suited him. 

“Or should I just say _DiNozzos_?” the director added with a raise of his eyebrow.

“Not sure yet,” Ziva replied in an amused tone.

Tony huffed out a laugh next to her. “You already signed the papers,” he muttered.

“As you keep _reminding me_ ,” she retorted.

Vance again offered a wide grin, and Ziva realized that it must have been quite a while since she last saw him smile like that. Perhaps this vacation had also been good for raising his spirits.

“Thank you for the party,” said Vance with a slight nod. He raised his chin. “And congratulations again.” 

Tony shook his hand and Vance sent a slight nod Ziva’s way, exactly what she would have expected from their former director. He pulled a pair of aviators from his pocket and put them in place, displaying one last wide grin that shone brightly under the sun.

“And you did _not_ see me dancing at _any time_ ,” Vance reminded them with a laugh.

“Oh, yes. Time is a blur,” said Tony with a meaningful wink. “And I remember _nothing_.”

Then Vance was gone, off to another summer day under the blue sky of Paradise. 

He’d barely left when Abby came running from the sandy slopes above, feet skidding down the terrain until she was next to them by the docks. She stopped abruptly, trying to catch her breath and shade her eyes from the bright sun. Tony and Ziva knew not to rush her, and as soon as she could breathe relatively well again, Abby pulled Tony into a tight embrace without a single warning. 

“I cannot let you go,” she muttered as Tony gasped for air under the strength of her squeeze.

“But I do have somewhere else to be, Abs,” he replied, feeling his ribs almost crack.

“Where?” Abby asked into Tony’s ear, her tone innocent enough that made him suspicious.

“Are you working for her?”

“No.” She released him and Tony felt the air coming back to his lungs. Abby studied his face, eyes wandering. “Why would you think that?”

“Your eyes.” Tony squinted his own at their old friend. “They turn to a different hue when you lie.”

To Abby’s credit, she held out for nearly a full minute before giving up and turning to Ziva apologetically. “ _Damnit_ ,” she confessed with a sheepish smile.

Ziva closed the distance between them and kissed her cheek, which earned her another Abby-style bear hug in return. “Goodbye, Abby,” she said with a warm smile. “I really do hope to see you visiting us soon. Tali is always asking about your skeleton biscuits.”

That made Abby’s smile widen, satisfied. “I shall keep that in mind then,” she said, bidding them goodbye. 

Ziva turned to the docks and saw yet another person approaching—someone toward whom she walked happily, displaying a wide, sunny smile. He carried a coconut in his hands and that alone made her laugh, delighted. 

“Ducky,” said Ziva warmly as she squeezed his shoulder. “I see you made a friend.”

She motioned with her chin to the person standing next to him, and Ducky chuckled softly.

“Really articulate fellow,” he acknowledged. “I don’t know why you didn’t introduce us before.”

Ziva knew _exactly_ why she hadn’t introduced them before—the conversation would be hours long without even changing the subject. 

“Shmeil,” she squeezed his hands in hers. “I hope the party was good enough to meet your standards.”

He was wearing a white panama hat and oval sunglasses, his smile wide and vibrant under the glorious sun. 

“Oh, my dear,” Shmeil said before closing the space between them and pressing a soft kiss to her right temple. “You always exceed all of them.”

“To that, I can testify.”

Ziva looked to her side and found Tony smiling smugly next to her, adoration and something she couldn’t quite place shining in his eyes. 

“Anthony,” Shmeil shook his hand with a smile. “Nice to see you again.”

“Likewise,” Tony ducked his head. “I’m about to have to steal this one away, though, I’m afraid.”

Shmeil’s warm chuckle was honey to Ziva’s ears. Yes, he was a good friend, and he hadn’t thought twice before joining them on the island, many miles away from his home. She had missed him, and the sight of him and Tony together made her chest tighten. The last time they were together was to get drinks after a late work night, and now that was her _husband_ shaking Shmeil’s hand. 

Ziva was not surprised to feel her heart racing inside her chest and her lips tilting into a smile.

“It’s your job now,” said Shmeil with a wink. “Don’t want to interfere.”

Just as Ziva was ready to bid him goodbye, however, someone came running from the edge of the docks to hurriedly hug her leg; and she met Senior’s apologetic eye before ducking down to kiss Tali’s head.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Ziva breathed softly against her hair, “I thought you would be asleep by now.”

“Where are you going?” Tali asked quietly, just before Ziva felt Tony crouch down next to her.

“We,” he began, taking off his sunglasses and brushing Tali’s untamed curls off her face, “are going to spend a few days doing adult stuff. Stuff which you would probably hate,” he repeated softly.

There was a tenderness and a patience in his voice that warmed Ziva’s heart, and when Tali eased her clutch on Ziva’s leg, she couldn’t prevent the tight feeling rising in her chest. 

“Why can’t I come with you?” Tali turned to her father, her eyes searching his face, and Tony raised both of her little hands to his lips.

“You can come if you really want to,” he breathed into her palms, and Ziva knew another word from Tali would change his plans in a second—and things would probably turn out just as wonderful that way, too. 

“But I thought you would prefer to stay here with the mermaids and everything,” Tony added, and he paused to watch Tali’s reaction.

She seemed to consider his words and turned to Ziva to verify them, which made Tony smile.

“Mermaids?” she asked Ziva, curious. 

Ziva nodded softly and was ready to come up with another way of distracting her when someone else crouched down at her side and offered a little object in Tali’s direction.

“This appeared right outside my doorstep around dawn,” said Gibbs, eyeing Tali with a gentle gaze. “I think they must have mistaken my room with yours, they are very close to each other.”

Tali opened up her hand slowly to find a little wooden figure—it had small, elegant fins blending into a human waist and voluminous hair around a head filled with little beads that certainly replaced small seashells. Tali’s eyes instantly lit up when she saw the present. 

She looked up and Gibbs and giggled, wide eyes darting between him, the little mermaid he had carved for her, and Ziva, wondering if the gift was real. Ziva saw Gibbs' lips twitch upwards, and she smiled as well when she knew that her daughter would be safe now, even if her usual protectors went away for a while.

“Tali, dear,” she called and Tali turned to her eagerly, perhaps wondering what else the mermaids had in store for the day ahead. Ziva tried to find the right words, but she failed, deciding to pull the girl into a tight hug instead. 

“Try to behave while we are away, yes?”

Ziva found Tony’s eyes over Tali’s curls, and the sudden sadness in them told her that he understood. 

She was saying goodbye again, and even if it was only for a very brief period, it was still a goodbye nonetheless.

Ziva kissed Tali’s head a few times and quickly wiped the single tear that had wet her cheek before her daughter could see, meeting Tony’s reassuring eyes again.

He studied her for some time before turning back to Tali, pulling her in himself for a kiss on the cheek. 

“And if you miss us anytime, anytime at all...” Tony said softly, eyes locked with Tali’s to make sure she understood, “count to a million. And we’ll already be on our way.”

When Tony looked back at Ziva, she was certain her surprise was written all over her face, because his eyes softened perceptibly. No, she would never forget those words—the ones she had read so many times years ago when Tony said he was going to fly to Israel to see her.

“Go kiss your mom goodbye,” Tony requested. Tali wasted no time; she hugged Ziva again and swiftly pressed a kiss to her cheek before darting back towards the docks, certainly eager to show the brand new treasure the mermaids had left for her to her friends.

Tony’s chuckle shook Ziva out of her stupor, and she turned to him, standing up as well.

“And I was so sure she would miss us,” he declared, watching Tali disappear up the white-washed stairs and into the lodges beyond. 

“She will,” said Senior, also gazing at the steep stone verandas and swaying bougainvillea. His eyes were distant, but as soon as he turned back to his son and new daughter-in-law, he cracked a smile. “But I’ll make sure she doesn't,” he added.

Tony nodded, a flicker of gratitude in his eyes. “Keep an eye on her, Dad. She knows her way around where mischief is concerned.”

“I know,” confessed Senior with a warm smile. “She reminds me of you when you were little.”

Tony’s eyebrows shot up, and Ziva chuckled in delight, stepping closer to Senior to dig deeper into that conversation. 

“How so?” she asked sweetly, and she instantly felt Tony’s eyes turn on her as he saw right through her naive tone.

“Oh, there was that one time,” Senior began, chuckling again with shining eyes, “when he stormed out of the house wearing all his mother’s handkerchiefs…”

“I’m gonna stop you right there,” said Tony, stepping in. He squinted his eyes at Ziva and she just giggled under his stare, making a mental note to tease him on the subject later.

“Have fun, Junior,” said Senior as he pulled Tony into a brief hug. “But not too much fun,” he added with a playful smile, patting Tony’s head as he smiled as well.

“You too, dear.” Senior turned to Ziva. “Don’t let him take the reins on things.”

Ziva kissed Senior’s right cheek and sent the same warm smile his way. 

“I know better than that.”

He backed away with a charming dip of his head. Soon he was gone, the only one among them genuinely fitting in with the aphrodisiac atmosphere of the island. 

Tony and Ziva stayed, though, satisfied smiles in place as they greeted the two younger agents they spotted coming their way. Nick was already wearing his standard surfing gear, a broad smile displayed on his face as he shook the hand Tony held out for him. 

“Nick. Thank you for dancing as idiotically as I asked you to,” said Tony with a slight nod of amusement while his other hand squeezed Nick’s shoulder. “I think we would have been great pals.”

Nick nodded back, and Ziva couldn’t miss the glint of respect shining in his eyes. “We already are, my friend,” he replied.

“Take care of Bishop, there.” Tony tipped his chin towards Ellie, a teasing smile twitching on his lips. “She bites,” he added, sotto voce as if in secret.

Ellie was radiant in a light summer dress, peach-colored sunglasses atop her head and an eyebrow raised at Tony’s last comment. She punched his arm and Ziva wondered how close they had gotten while she was away. This interaction certainly looked like something close to a big brother teasing his little sister in her eyes.

“Ha-ha,” Ellie replied, huffing right before cracking a smile. She turned to Ziva, giving her a slight duck of her head. “Thank you two for the reunion,” she said. “This place is gorgeous.” 

Ziva didn’t miss the way Ellie looked at her, a mix of admiration and curiosity scarcely hidden in her gaze. Yes, they had talked a little before—about Ziva’s diary entries and the variety of paths to choose from in life—but something was new in the way Bishop looked at her now. 

Perhaps it was understanding, something Ziva rarely saw directed to her. 

“Sure is,” Ziva let out, a hand drifting to Ellie’s shoulder and squeezing it softly. “Keep in touch, yes? About that thing we talked about.”

No more words were needed between them to show that Ellie understood Ziva’s meaning.

“Of course,” was her reply, and Ziva smirked, satisfied; while their respective partners watched them with intrigue.

Ziva smiled, and silently asked Tony to question her about it later with a slight nod of her head. Then the younger agents stepped away, and Ziva sighed, a warm feeling bubbling up in her stomach as she surveyed their surroundings one last time—white washed verandas and bright blue skies.

Paradise.

Ziva pulled the sunglasses back down to her face, her smile widening, and turned to Tony only to find him already staring. She beamed, hooking a hand around his arm before turning to the sea beyond. 

“Shall we?” she asked, her heart racing.

“By all means,” he replied with a crooked smile. “Lead the way.”

* * *

Ellie watched as the newlyweds made their way down the docks and stopped at a small sailing boat, the vessel’s light wooden panels and pearl-colored headsails standing out in stark contrast with the cloudless blue sky. She watched Tony help Ziva step inside and saw her bark out a laugh at something he had said, her face tilted up toward the sky. 

Ellie noticed them waving briefly to the group, and she waved back right away. She watched them sail away, the pearl-colored boat appearing smaller and smaller against the vastness of the sea until it was nothing more than a speckle of white on the horizon. 

She only realized that she was smiling when a voice spoke right from behind her.

“Are you interested in surfing lessons?” Nick breathed into her ear, his hands lightly brushing her waist.

Ellie stepped out of his grasp to turn to him, an eyebrow raised.

“What makes you think I don’t already know how to surf?”

Nick smiled back, a huff of a laugh escaping his lips before his eyes started to wander all over her face. 

“Ten minutes,” he said before pulling her closer to press a quick kiss to her temple. “Be back on the bay in ten minutes!” His repeated words echoed as he darted up to the lodges, disappearing between tall palm trees.

“Don’t you have this strange feeling that it all just goes ‘round and ‘round?”

McGee glanced over at Kasie, her inquisitive eyes showing him the true meaning behind her words. He must have waited too long to answer, because before he could think of how to reply, she quickly laughed. Then she grabbed his arm and shook her head to lighten the mood.

“Not really,” he replied nonetheless after a beat, and Kasie looked back at him, her expression turning more serious now in response to his sudden profound tone.

“Why’s that?” Kasie asked, squinting her eyes as she watched Ellie dart upstairs after Nick.

McGee shook his head, a small smile appearing on his lips just as a little sailboat disappeared into the horizon.

“Isn’t that how life is supposed to go, anyway?”

* * *

“Do you think they’re like us?”

Ziva turned to face her husband, her eyes unabashedly studying the shape of Tony’s frame against the daylight as his words started to make sense in her mind. 

“What do you mean?” she asked, taking a sip of her coconut water.

Tony glanced back at her from where he was standing at the edge of the deck, guiding the ship. His lips twitched before he turned his gaze back to the shining waters around them.

“Torres and Bishop with their forbidden office romance, and all… Do you think they were similar to us?”

“Not at all.” Ziva shook her head. “He asked her out.”

Tony huffed. “And I _didn’t_?!”

“You had your chance.”

“I asked you to _marry me_.” He turned to her again with a huge smile as if he didn’t yet believe this was actually happening. “Are you ever going to be satisfied?”

“We will see.” Ziva chuckled, a flicker of amusement shining in her eyes. “I think you’ll have to prove that to me.”

“Mark my words.” Tony puffed up his chest. “You _will_ be satisfied.”

“Hah!” Ziva’s laugh echoed over the waters of the Aegean. “If you say so.”

Tony huffed, shaking his head. “I would advise you to fasten your seatbelt, David,” he warned her, a smile clear in his voice, “‘cause your world is about to be _rocked_.”

* * *

“Can I open them?”

Tony’s steady hands on her shoulders guided her steps over uneven terrain, and Ziva tried her best to keep her balance while her eyes were shut. 

“Hush.”

“How long until I can open them?”

Ziva could feel Tony’s breath beside her ear, and she smiled at his air of innocence in pretending she still didn’t have a clue about where they were heading. Of course, they had to leave the island, and then they rented a car and drive for _hours_ — and for some time, Ziva _truly_ questioned if it wouldn’t just be easier to get a flight somewhere—but now that she had already seen flocks of tourists and traffic signs bearing the city’s name, she knew exactly why he had chosen to travel this way.

There was something genuinely comforting in having him by her side, and between all the lighthearted jokes and the constant movie insights he’d shared along the way, something was proven to Ziva once again: there was no one better than Tony to be stuck in traffic with.

“Has anyone told you how impatient you are?” Tony whispered into her ear.

“They usually stop breathing first,” was her reply.

“Should I be concerned?”

“If you plan to take any longer with this than you already have, then I assure you, concern certainly would be wise.” 

Tony halted briskly, and out of instinct, Ziva squeezed the hands holding her shoulders, trying to keep her balance. Equilibrium restored, she inhaled a few times and realized how relaxed she truly felt with her back leaning into his bulk and her head tucking giddily under his chin. 

“Okay. You can open them.”

Ziva’s eyes slowly fluttered open, and she couldn’t fight back the low gasp that escaped her throat.

She couldn’t believe what she saw.

Vertiginous houses tumbled down to frame a wide, shining sea in a cascade of sun-bleached peach, pink and terracotta. Steep, narrow roads connected a series of ceramic-covered watch towers, and visitors filled the site, small moving figures strolling between wisteria-draped buildings and smart restaurants.

It was as picturesque as it was beautiful, and it knocked the breath from Ziva’s lungs.

“ _Buongiorno, Principessa_ ,” Tony pressed his warm lips on her left temple. “Welcome to _Italy_.”


End file.
